According to legal circles on December 30, ADOR has filed a lawsuit seeking contractual penalties and damages against Danielle, one member of her family, and former CEO Min Hee Jin. The claimed amount is reported to be approximately ₩43.1 billion, and the case has been assigned to the Civil Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Nam In-soo).
This judicial panel is the same one that previously handled the lawsuit between HYBE and former CEO Min Hee Jin concerning the termination of a shareholder agreement and the exercise of a put option. The date for the first hearing has not yet been set.
On December 29, ADOR announced its official position confirming the termination of Danielle’s exclusive contract. The agency stated, “We determined that it would be difficult to continue working with Danielle as a NewJeans member and ADOR artist, and therefore notified her today of the termination of her exclusive contract.” It added, “We plan to hold legally accountable one member of Danielle’s family and former CEO Min Hee Jin, who bear significant responsibility for causing this dispute and for NewJeans’ departure and delayed return.”
This lawsuit is an extension of the ongoing dispute over exclusive contracts between NewJeans and ADOR. After former CEO Min Hee Jin resigned in November 2024, NewJeans held an emergency press conference and claimed that their exclusive contracts had been terminated as of midnight on November 29 of the same year, announcing their intention to pursue independent activities. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts, and the court ruled in favor of ADOR.
The members’ futures have since diverged. Haerin and Hyein returned to ADOR last month, while Hanni confirmed her return on December 29. Minji is currently continuing discussions with the agency. Former CEO Min Hee Jin has taken a separate path after establishing a new management company.
Sources: Daum
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