NewJeans' Activities Halted by Court Ruling

The independent activities of the K-pop group NewJeans have been completely halted following a ruling by the Seoul High Court on June 17, 2025. The court dismissed the members' appeal against a provisional injunction that prevents them from engaging in activities without their agency, Ador.

NewJeans had initiated their independent activities after claiming that their exclusive contract with Ador was terminated due to the agency's breach of contract last November. They even changed their team name to NJZ and participated in a photoshoot and the Hong Kong ComplexCon.

In response, Ador filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract and sought a provisional injunction to prevent the members from signing advertising contracts or engaging in other activities. The court accepted Ador's request, leading to the dismissal of NewJeans' immediate appeal, which was followed by a second unsuccessful appeal.

This ruling is expected to have significant implications for the ongoing lawsuit regarding NewJeans' exclusive contract and the legal disputes involving Min Hee-jin, the former head of Ador, and HYBE.

The court noted that Min Hee-jin had expressed dissatisfaction with the shareholder agreement and sought ways to operate independently of Ador, which they deemed as undermining the agency's structure. Furthermore, the court rejected claims that the trust between Ador and Min had been broken due to her rejection of production proposals, stating that the members' insistence on working solely with her contributed to the breakdown of trust.

Allegations of plagiarism against NewJeans by the group ILY:IT and claims that a manager from their agency, Belift Lab, disrespected member Hani were also dismissed.

The court particularly criticized NewJeans for proceeding with their Hong Kong ComplexCon appearance without Ador's consent, stating that if the members were allowed to engage in independent activities, it could lead to a misunderstanding among the public that their exclusive contract had been fully terminated, potentially damaging the NewJeans brand image.

The court also dismissed arguments that the members would face a long hiatus due to the injunction, asserting that the damages were self-inflicted by the members' refusal to comply with the valid contract.

As a result of the ruling, NewJeans is now prohibited from engaging in any entertainment activities, including songwriting, performing, broadcasting, and signing contracts, without Ador's approval.

The group's next steps are highly anticipated, with the most likely course being to await the outcome of the main lawsuit. However, the timeline for this process remains uncertain. Legal experts suggest that unless new evidence emerges, the court's ruling could negatively impact the main lawsuit.

While a return to Ador seems unlikely, as the members have stated they have crossed an irreversible line, the agency has left the door open for potential negotiations. However, it remains uncertain whether Ador would fully support NewJeans' activities as they did previously.

Alternatively, the group could opt to pay a penalty to terminate their contract. The penalty is calculated based on the average monthly revenue over the last two years multiplied by the remaining months of the contract. If NewJeans' claim of contract termination in November 2024 is considered, the penalty could range from 400 to 600 billion KRW. Conversely, if calculated at the conclusion of the main lawsuit, the penalty could decrease to several hundred million KRW.