SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - The future of K-pop girl group NewJeans — who shot to global stardom upon their 2022 debut — has been thrown into uncertainty after a Seoul court ruled in favor of their agency HYBE on Thursday.
The court determined that all five members remain exclusively bound to ADOR, a HYBE sublabel, until 2029, regardless of their claims of contract breaches and unfair treatment.
The decision extinguishes hopes for an early stage comeback for NewJeans, who severed ties with ADOR after the ouster of founder and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin last year over her alleged attempt to seize control of the label from HYBE. Min and NewJeans have since been engaged in separate legal battles against ADOR.
The conflict spiraled into an ugly public feud beginning in April 2024, when Min accused HYBE and its chairman Bang Si-hyuk of copying NewJeans' concept for the debut of another girl group. HYBE and Bang are global names associated with BTS.
Shares of HYBE jumped 5 percent to close at 324,500 won upon the removal of legal uncertainty.
Following Min's resignation in August 2024, the NewJeans members notified ADOR of their unilateral termination of the contract. None of the teenage members attended the ruling on Thursday.
In its decision, the court stated that ADOR's dismissal of Min "cannot be seen as a violation of the contract," adding that her media campaign "was not aimed at protecting NewJeans but at removing the group from ADOR."
After mediation efforts collapsed, NewJeans resumed brief activities under the name NJZ, but their comeback was halted after a concert in Hong Kong in March when ADOR filed an injunction blocking the group from engaging in commercial promotions.
NewJeans submitted multiple objections and appeals, all of which were dismissed — effectively preventing the members from performing or promoting without ADOR's approval since March.
"The dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin alone does not prove ADOR lacked the capability or plans to manage NewJeans," the court said. "The contract does not stipulate that Min must personally oversee the group, and although she could have remained as an outside director or producer, she voluntarily resigned."
HYBE has maintained that NewJeans can continue activities under ADOR without Min's involvement, claiming it has preparations in place for a full-length album comeback.
Following the ruling, NewJeans' legal representative, Shin & Kim, said the team would immediately appeal.
"We respect the court's decision," the firm said, "but the trust between NewJeans and ADOR has already been irreparably damaged. Under the current circumstances, it would be difficult for the members to return to ADOR and resume normal activities."
The verdict is also a setback for Min, who recently established her new agency, OOAK (One of A Kind).
NewJeans became an instant phenomenon upon their debut for reshaping K-pop's sound and visual identity and earned the label of “the idol for idols.”
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