NewJeans can no longer do entertainment activities outside of ADOR, their current agency, even if they want to work solo or with someone else.
On May 30, the 52nd Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court sided with ADOR in a key part of their legal battle with NewJeans. The court granted ADOR’s request for an injunction, which stops the members from doing any work without the agency’s approval until the first official ruling on their contract comes out.
The court clearly stated,
“The debtors (NewJeans) must not carry out entertainment activities independently or through third parties without prior approval or consent from the creditor (ADOR) until the first trial verdict on the contract validity is given.”
This means the members are legally banned from any solo promotions, ad deals, or outside activities unless ADOR says it’s okay.
To make things stricter, the court also added a heavy penalty. If any member breaks the rule, they will have to pay 1 billion KRW (about $730,000 USD) for each violation. On top of that, NewJeans must cover the legal costs for this case.
This isn’t the first time the court has backed ADOR. Back in March, the court already accepted a similar request to block NewJeans from signing ad contracts or doing outside activities. When NewJeans objected in April, the court stood by its original decision.
With this new ruling, the court has once again shown support for ADOR’s claim that the exclusive contract with NewJeans is still valid. However, NewJeans continues to fight for the termination of the contract, saying there’s been a “loss of trust.”
This legal battle is far from over, and the tension is only growing.
The next court hearing between NewJeans and ADOR is set for June 5.
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