▲ NewJeans members Danielle (L) and Minji enter the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Aug. 14, 2025, to attend the first mediation session in a lawsuit filed by their agency ADOR over the validity of their exclusive contract. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- The second court-led mediation between K-pop girl group NewJeans and their agency ADOR over an exclusive contract dispute ended without agreement Thursday, leaving the matter to be settled by a court ruling in October.

 

The Seoul Central District Court held the second mediation session at 1:30 p.m. for about 20 minutes. ADOR had filed a suit seeking confirmation that its exclusive contract with the five members of NewJeans remains valid.

 

Both sides failed to reach a settlement, following a first mediation session on Aug. 14. The court said it plans to deliver a ruling on Oct. 30.

 

NewJeans has claimed its contract with ADOR was terminated in November last year due to the agency’s breach of obligations and has since pursued independent activities.

 

ADOR, however, argued the contract remains valid and filed the confirmation suit, while also seeking an injunction to block the members from engaging in independent activities until the court’s final judgment.

 

Earlier, the court granted ADOR’s request, banning NewJeans members from engaging in independent activities without the agency’s prior approval.

 

The central issue in the trial is whether the exclusive contract is still valid and if there are grounds for its termination.

 

ADOR maintains that the contract is fully valid and there are no justifiable reasons for termination. NewJeans, on the other hand, argues that the removal of former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin destroyed the relationship of trust that underpinned the contract.

 

In a previous hearing, ADOR’s lawyers said, “The essence of the case is a change of heart after trainees became successful celebrities,” stressing that HYBE invested 21 billion won (US$15 million) in NewJeans and provided full support. They rejected NewJeans’ claim of broken trust, saying, “The trust underlying an exclusive contract is that between business partners. ADOR provided opportunities and properly settled profits. There was no collapse of trust.”

 

NewJeans’ legal team countered that ADOR has been reshaped under HYBE executives since Min’s removal, saying, “The ADOR we trusted when signing the contract no longer exists.” They added that the group has lost confidence in the company after nearly a year and a half of litigation.

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