Reasons the court sided with ADOR and banned NJZ's independent activities

It seems the dispute between ADOR and NJZ (NewJeans) is coming to a close as the court has ruled in favor of the agency over the group.

On March 21, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 50 ruled in favor of ADOR’s request for an injunction to preserve its status as the group’s agency and to prohibit unauthorized advertising contracts involving the five NewJeans members.

With the latest ruling, Korean netizens are now reviewing the summary of the court ruling on key disputes between ADOR and NewJeans. One netizen summarized the key points on why the court ruled in favor of ADOR and shared them in a popular online forum.

NewJeans vs. ADOR & HYBE: Court Rulings on Key Disputes:

• NewJeans: ADOR refused to reinstate Min Hee Jin as CEO, which constitutes grounds for contract termination.
• Court: ADOR has sufficient capacity to recruit a replacement producer, and Min Hee Jin’s reinstatement as CEO does not qualify as a valid reason for terminating the exclusive contract. Furthermore, the contract does not specify Min Hee Jin as the designated producer.

• NewJeans: HYBE's music report dated May 10, 2023, included the phrase "abandon the new and reorganize," implying they intended to discard NewJeans.
• Court: The phrase in the music industry report cannot be interpreted as a statement of intent to abandon NewJeans. Instead, it appears to be part of a strategic approach regarding Source Music’s girl group, LE SSERAFIM. The report suggests that the classification of groups should shift from "NewJeans, IVE, LE SSERAFIM" to "BLACKPINK, LE SSERAFIM, aespa, IVE."

• NewJeans: BELIFT LAB’s group ILLIT attempted to replace NewJeans by undermining their uniqueness.
• Court: The evidence presented is insufficient to prove plagiarism. Even if ILLIT copied a concept, it is unclear whether this would qualify for intellectual property protection.

• NewJeans: HYBE’s bulk album sales strategy devalued NewJeans’ achievements.
• Court: The PR team’s request to correct NewJeans’ album sales figures was merely an effort to rectify factual inaccuracies affecting stock prices. It does not constitute defamation or an intentional downgrade of NewJeans' achievements.

• NewJeans: ILLIT's manager from HYBE's subsidiary, BELIFT LAB, told them to "ignore" Hanni.
• Court: There is no definitive proof that this statement was made. Additionally, on the same day, Hanni messaged Min Hee Jin, stating that three ILLIT members greeted her awkwardly or formally. CCTV footage also shows three ILLIT members bowing in greeting, making it difficult to conclude that Hanni was subjected to a remark severe enough to constitute a violation of her personal rights.

• NewJeans: ADOR ruined its partnership with the advertisement production company Dolphiners Films.
• Court: A dispute between ADOR and Dolphiners Films alone does not constitute a violation of ADOR’s major contractual obligations.