On December 5 KST, ADOR officially announced that it has filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court, in order to verify that the exclusive contract between the company and NewJeans remains valid until further legal decisions are made.
The company claimed that an exclusive contract cannot be fully terminated based on one-sided claims by a party, and that under current conditions, NewJeans cannot pursue entertainment activities outside of the exclusive contract’s parameters.
Meanwhile, NewJeans previously announced their decision to terminate the group’s exclusive contract with ADOR, citing ADOR’s violation of the exclusive contract as a valid reason for the termination. The group also relayed their intent to legally pursue their group’s trademarked name, and further insisted that they were not responsible for any legal fees or penalties.
Read ADOR’s full press statement, below.
“Hello, this is ADOR.
On December 3 KST, we filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to verify that our exclusive contract with NewJeans remains valid.
Although we did not wish to resolve this issue through legal measures, we deemed it necessary to clarify to the artists as well as other stakeholders that an exclusive contract between a company and the artists cannot be terminated unilaterally based on one-sided claims. Furthermore, this decision was made with the intent to safeguard the foundation of the K-Pop industry, which has been built based on the guarantee of a healthy relationship of mutual trust between artists and their companies.
It is with a heavy heart that we share this news, but we felt it was crucial to prevent misunderstandings that could cause the artists to believe that the exclusive contract has been lawfully terminated. Such misunderstandings could result in activities that breach the current exclusive contract and lead to unwarned damages and confusion for domestic and international industry stakeholders.
The K-Pop industry of today evolved through the mutual cooperation of artists who contributed their talents and relentless efforts, and capable companies who contributed their full-scale investments and trust. Within an industry where success is difficult to predict, it is inevitable for companies to proactively support their artists over extended periods of time under uncertain conditions. This support is based on the belief that through investment, both the company and the artists will experience mutual growth, and exclusive contracts are agreements made on this premise with mutual consent.
If this fundamental agreement is not upheld, the efforts of companies that have endured prolonged uncertainty and demonstrated trust through their investments will be rendered meaningless and irrecoverable. This would lead to a breakdown of systematic support, investment, and industrial advancement, ultimately disrupting the cycle that has driven the rapid growth of the K-pop industry.
ADOR’s commitment to working with NewJeans remains unchanged. While we seek judicial confirmation regarding the validity of the exclusive contract, we still believe that this issue merits sincere and sufficient discussions with the artists for a complete resolution. Despite the efforts of the ADOR staff, we have yet to secure an opportunity to communicate with the artists; still, we will in our attempts to resolve misunderstandings and work toward constructive dialogue.
We will do our best to repay those who love NewJeans and their music with good promotions in the future. We ask for your abundant support and encouragements so that ADOR and Newjeans can overcome this situation wisely.”
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