During the third hearing on July 24 at the Seoul Central District Court, NewJeans’ legal team revealed their willingness to resume activities under ADOR—but only if the label returns to its pre-HYBE state.
The hearing, presided over by Judge Kim Yuseong of the Civil Affairs Division 41, marks a pivotal chapter in the high-profile lawsuit over the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract with ADOR.
During the session, ADOR’s legal team accused former CEO Min Hee-jin of orchestrating the group’s termination notice. They dismissed NewJeans’ cited reasons—such as the plagiarism controversy involving HYBE’s new girl group ILLIT and the so-called “ignored” incident—as mere excuses to nullify the contract.
“ADOR has faithfully fulfilled its obligations in artist management,” the label argued. “Just because Min Hee-jin stepped down as producer doesn’t invalidate the contract.”
In a strongly worded rebuttal, NewJeans’ side placed the blame squarely on HYBE, citing the April 2023 audit against Min Hee-jin as the catalyst. They noted that the allegations against her ended without prosecution, yet NewJeans bore the brunt of the fallout.
Comparing their situation to a domestic abuse survivor, NewJeans’ legal rep stated: “Telling them to return to HYBE is like asking a school violence victim to go back and endure the same trauma.” They emphasized that “the mother who raised them was expelled, and now the abusive father promises a better one.”
In a bold request, they urged the court to either free NewJeans from the contract or restore ADOR to its former independent state as of April 2024, under which they would consider returning.
The case will now move into closed-door mediation, with the next court date scheduled for August 14 at 2 PM. If both parties reach a settlement, it will hold the same legal weight as a court ruling. However, if negotiations fail, the court has provisionally set October 30 as the verdict date.
Daum