The legal battle between NewJeans and their agency ADOR remains unresolved, as the two sides failed to reach an agreement during a court-mediated settlement session on August 14.
The session, held by the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 41, was attended by members Minji and Danielle, who only told reporters “We’re sorry” before entering the courtroom. The mediation lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes but ended without consensus.
A follow-up mediation is scheduled for September 11. If no agreement is reached then, a final verdict will be delivered on October 30.
The dispute stems from the removal of former CEO Min Hee-jin in August 2024, after which NewJeans declared termination of their exclusive contract with ADOR and began using the name NJZ for independent activities. ADOR responded by filing a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contract and previously won a court injunction preventing the members from signing new endorsement deals.
While ADOR insists the contract remains valid and is seeking reconciliation, NewJeans maintains that “trust has completely broken down” and has no intention of returning to the agency.
Sources: Daum