Seoul court orders NewJeans to stay under ADOR contract through 2029

A Seoul court on Thursday ruled that the K-pop group NewJeans must honor its exclusive management contract with ADOR through 2029, finding that the company’s dismissal of former CEO Min Heejin did not legally justify the group’s bid to terminate the agreement. The Seoul Central District Court also upheld injunctions barring the five members from pursuing independent entertainment activities without ADOR’s consent and ordered the group to bear litigation costs.

Judges said the members and Min Heejin failed to prove ADOR breached its contractual duties. "It is difficult to conclude that ADOR breached the exclusive contract solely on the grounds of Min Heejin’s dismissal," the court wrote, adding that the members’ personal trust in Min did not make her continued role a fundamental contractual obligation. The court noted ADOR had offered Min a revised agreement to continue producing for NewJeans after her ouster, which she declined, and that the company continued to prepare albums, fan events and tour plans even when the group was not cooperating.

The legal battle began after NewJeans announced in November 2024 that they were terminating their contract with ADOR, following the...