Original article by Kim Ji-hye for Naver

English translation by @juantokki (Twitter)

ADOR and NewJeans presented conflicting stances regarding the possibility of reaching a settlement or mediation.

On the morning of the 3rd, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Agreement Division 41 held the first hearing for the lawsuit filed by ADOR against NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein) to confirm the validity of their exclusive contract.

During the hearing, the judge asked, “Is there a possibility of settlement or mediation?” ADOR’s legal representative responded, “We hope to reach a settlement.” However, NewJeans’ legal team shut down the possibility, stating, “That is not an option at this time. Given the members’ emotional state, it is simply not feasible right now.”

In civil cases, unlike criminal trials, the parties involved are not required to attend the hearings. However, all five NewJeans members personally attended the injunction hearing on the 7th of last month, where they tearfully pleaded, “We have absolutely no desire to continue working with ADOR.” Despite their emotional appeal at the time, they did not appear in court for this session.

Last December, ADOR filed a lawsuit asserting that its exclusive contract with NewJeans remained valid, countering NewJeans’ public contract termination announcement in November 2023. The group had cited ADOR’s failure to fulfill its obligations as the reason for their decision.

In January of this year, after NewJeans attempted to continue activities under their new name, NJZ, ADOR sought a court injunction to preserve its status as their agency and to block the group from signing independent advertising contracts.

On the 21st of last month, the court ruled in favor of ADOR, granting the injunction. However, NewJeans immediately appealed the decision, filing an objection with the court on the same day. The hearing for their objection is scheduled for the 9th at 2 PM KST.

Meanwhile, the second hearing for ADOR’s lawsuit to confirm the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract is set for June 5th.