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NewJeans and ADOR’s contract dispute eyes October end after two sides FAIL to reach agreement at 2nd mediation
The five members did not appear for the court-arranged settlement conversation for the second time after an initial mediation in mid-August.
NewJeans and ADOR’s battle over the validity of the former’s exclusive contracts with the latter may soon come to an end. On September 11, roughly a month after an initial court ordered settlement talk ended in a failure, the two sides were given another opportunity to speak about their dispute and sort it on their own. However, the conversations fell apart and the second mediation was not successful in finding two a middle ground. Held at the Seoul Central District Court Civil Mediation Division 41, presided by Judge Jung Hoi Il, the mediation process was held in private, away from any media or onlookers.
NewJeans and ADOR fail to resolve their contract issue
Previously, Minji and Danielle of the group NewJeans were in attendance at the first mediation, after the court suggested that those concerned with the lawsuit should appear. After approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes of talks, no conclusion was reached. According to reports from Chosun Ilbo and Korea JoongAng Daily, the latest round of conversations on Thursday afternoon saw no participation from the members’ end. With the failure of court recommended settlement on August 14 and September 11, the dispute is all set to head towards the announcement of the verdict on October 30.
The court’s decision will shed light on the future of NewJeans as a team in the K-pop world and ADOR’s management rights over the group. The legal battle first began back in November 2024 after the five members, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, announced that they’d like to promote individually, citing the violation of their contractual terms on the agency’s end. They have demanded the reinstatement of Min Hee Jin, the former CEO of ADOR, and the return of other original employees as the only possible solution to their woes, which the other side has denied. In response, the company expressed its plans to continue managing the girls, claiming a lack of termination grounds.
