The second hearing of the lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract between the group NewJeans and their agency Ador will take place.
The 41st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Hoe-il) will hold the second hearing of the lawsuit filed by Ador against the members of NewJeans to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract on the morning of the 4th.
During the first hearing held in March, both sides engaged in a debate over the possibility of producing 'Ador without Min Hee-jin.'
Ador argued that NewJeans cannot engage in entertainment activities without former CEO Min Hee-jin, but contended that as a subsidiary of the industry leader HYBE, they have sufficient capability to find other producers.
In response, NewJeans claimed, “There was no communication regarding alternative preparations in the absence of former CEO Min,” asserting a 'breakdown of trust' and emphasized, “Please judge whether it is appropriate to continue with Ador, which has become a completely different entity due to the change in management.”
NewJeans and Ador have been in a dispute over the exclusive contract since November of last year. At that time, NewJeans held an emergency press conference to notify Ador of the termination of the exclusive contract and announced that they would begin independent activities under the new name NJZ.
In response, Ador stated, “Claiming that trust has been unilaterally broken does not constitute grounds for termination,” and filed a lawsuit in court on December 3 of last year to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract against NewJeans. Subsequently, on January 6, they also applied for a provisional injunction to maintain their status as a planning agency and to prohibit the signing of advertising contracts.
On March 21, the court accepted Ador's application for a provisional injunction to maintain their status as a planning agency and to prohibit the signing of advertising contracts, ruling that NewJeans should not engage in independent activities.
Nevertheless, the members took the stage at a concert in Hong Kong under the name NJZ, and Ador retaliated with an indirect enforcement application.
Indirect enforcement is a method that orders the debtor to pay a certain amount based on the delayed period if they do not comply with the court's decision. It is one of the civil enforcement methods that psychologically compels the debtor to fulfill their obligations.
On May 29, the court accepted the application for indirect enforcement, ruling that NewJeans should not engage in entertainment activities without prior approval or consent from Ador until the first instance judgment of the exclusive contract is made. It also decided that if they violate this obligation and engage in independent activities, each member would have to pay Ador 1 billion won for each violation.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
