On July 24, during the third hearing of the civil lawsuit to confirm the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract held at the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Jung Hoe Il of Civil Agreement Division 41), ADOR argued, “Returning to ADOR is in NewJeans’ best interests.”
Referring to a Seoul High Court ruling that granted ADOR’s injunction to maintain its status as the group’s agency and to prohibit the members from signing advertising contracts elsewhere, ADOR stated, “The defendants (NewJeans) must prove grounds for terminating the exclusive contract, but they failed to provide any. On the contrary, it was proven that there were no valid grounds for termination.”
ADOR, which claims it is already preparing for the group’s comeback, said, “If the exclusive contract is maintained, the members can carry out their entertainment activities under the best conditions, shake off the stigma of being celebrities who break promises, and be freed from penalty fees and damages. Since ADOR is still preparing for NewJeans’ return, we believe coming back to ADOR would be beneficial for the group.”
They continued, “If the exclusive contract is terminated, it would cause irreparable damage to the members. They would lose the full support of ADOR and HYBE, as well as their idol image. Legal disputes over penalty fees and damages would also follow. It would be difficult to maintain employment for ADOR’s staff. The court itself acknowledged that if the contract is terminated, ADOR’s very survival is at risk.”
Additionally, ADOR claimed that if NewJeans unilaterally cancels the exclusive contract, it would have devastating consequences for the K-pop industry, stating, “In such a case, ADOR would no longer be able to train future talent, and K-pop would be headed for collapse. NewJeans is necessary for themselves, for ADOR, and for the K-pop industry.”
SEE ALSO: