Seoul: A court ruled on Thursday that the exclusive contract between popular girl group NewJeans and its K-pop label ADOR is valid. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the ruling in a lawsuit filed by ADOR last year to confirm the validity of its exclusive contract with NewJeans, resulting in a complete defeat for the girl group.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the court did not accept NewJeans' argument that the dismissal of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin constituted a violation of the exclusive contract, nor did it agree that the breakdown of bilateral trust was sufficient grounds for terminating the contract. The legal battle began after NewJeans announced the termination of its contract with ADOR in November last year, citing a loss of trust due to the agency's alleged failure to fulfill its obligations.
ADOR responded by filing a lawsuit the following month, claiming that NewJeans' attempt to pursue an independent career in the entertainment industry was a serious breach of their contract. The court found that the dismissal of Min from her CEO position did not create a management vacuum that would impair ADOR's ability to fulfill its responsibilities to NewJeans.
The court noted that there was no clause in the exclusive contract mandating Min's direct involvement in ADOR's operations. It pointed out that despite her removal from the CEO post, Min could still contribute to production work as an outside director.