On October 11, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 41 (Judge Jung Hoe-il) held the second mediation session for ADOR’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of its exclusive contracts with the five NewJeans members. After roughly 20 minutes of discussion, both sides failed to reach an agreement, prompting the court to announce that a final ruling would be issued later this month.
This marks the second failed mediation attempt, following the first on September 14. With no resolution achieved, the court will now directly decide whether the exclusive contracts remain valid, whether termination was justified, and whether either party owes damages.
The upcoming verdict could go one of two ways: the court may rule that NewJeans must continue under ADOR’s management, or it could recognize the breakdown of trust between the two sides and order contract termination accompanied by financial compensation.
The session was held privately, and unlike the first mediation, the NewJeans members did not attend in person.
The conflict traces back to November 2024, when NewJeans notified ADOR of their intention to terminate their contracts, accusing the agency of breaching its obligations and announcing plans to pursue independent activities. ADOR responded by filing a lawsuit asserting the contracts remained valid and obtained a court injunction preventing the members from engaging in individual or outside work.
Since then, both parties have been locked in a bitter legal standoff over the legitimacy of the contracts and whether ADOR’s alleged mismanagement justified termination.
ADOR argues that the contracts are still legally binding, claiming that HYBE, its parent company, invested approximately 21 billion KRW (about $15 million USD) into NewJeans’ debut and career, fulfilling all financial and operational duties. The agency maintains that it upheld the trust-based relationship fundamental to exclusive contracts.
Meanwhile, the NewJeans side insists that the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin and the replacement of ADOR’s leadership with HYBE executives destroyed the foundation of trust between the artists and the agency. They argue that nearly two years of ongoing legal conflict have made it impossible to maintain a working relationship.
The October 30 verdict will not only determine whether NewJeans remains with ADOR but could also reshape the agency’s future operations—and potentially set a major precedent for artist-agency disputes in K-pop.
Sources: nate
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