NewJeans' Independent Activities Completely Prohibited by Court

On June 17, 2025, the Seoul High Court's Civil Division 25-2, led by judges Hwang Byeong-ha, Jeong Jong-kwan, and Lee Gyun-yong, dismissed the appeal filed by NewJeans members against a previous ruling. Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court had granted Ador's request to prevent the five members of NewJeans from engaging in independent activities without prior approval or consent from the agency.

Following the court's decision, the members expressed their intention to continue the legal battle by filing an immediate appeal. They stated, "The court has upheld the original decision today, and we have submitted our appeal. We will diligently engage in the ongoing legal procedures to ensure that the facts are clearly established." However, the appellate court also ruled in favor of Ador, leaving NewJeans unable to pursue independent activities without the agency's consent.

Previously, in March, after the court granted Ador's request, NewJeans announced a halt to their activities during the Hong Kong ComplexCon. They expressed their heavy hearts on stage, stating, "We feel burdened to share this news. This may be our last performance for a while. We have decided to respect the court's decision and cease all activities."

It was reported that NewJeans did not meet with Ador staff during their trip to Hong Kong for ComplexCon. Following the court's ruling, Ador filed for indirect enforcement against the members for proceeding without their staff. The court accepted Ador's request, stating that NewJeans must not engage in entertainment activities without prior approval from Ador until the first trial verdict of the exclusive contract validity lawsuit is announced. If they violate this order, they would be required to pay Ador 1 billion KRW for each infraction.

As a result, if NewJeans were to continue independent activities without Ador's consent, they would owe a total of 5 billion KRW for five potential violations. Despite this situation, NewJeans has shown no intention of returning to Ador. During the second hearing of the exclusive contract validity lawsuit on June 5, when the court inquired about the possibility of a settlement, NewJeans' representatives stated, "We need to discuss with our client, but the trust has already been broken. We have crossed a river that cannot be crossed back."