Silent in Response to Reporters' Questions
Earlier Injunction Prohibited "Independent Activities"
NewJeans members Daniel (left) and Minji are entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 14th for the first trial mediation of the exclusive contract validity confirmation lawsuit. Photo by Yonhap News
NewJeans members Hani and Daniel attended the mediation attempt aimed at ending the legal dispute between their agency, ADOR, and the group. Previously, the court had issued an injunction prohibiting NewJeans members from pursuing independent activities without ADOR's approval, which shifted the lawsuit's momentum. If mediation fails on this day, a verdict is scheduled to be delivered on October 30.
According to Yonhap News and industry sources on the 14th, at 2 p.m. that day, the Civil Agreement Division 41 of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Hoeil) proceeded with the mediation process for the lawsuit filed by ADOR seeking confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contracts with the five NewJeans members. The court had previously requested the direct attendance of the members involved, and on this day, Minji and Daniel appeared in person.
The dispute between the two sides remains intense. ADOR maintains that the exclusive contracts are still valid and that there are no grounds for termination. On the other hand, the NewJeans side argues that the trust relationship has been fundamentally broken due to the ousting of former CEO Min Heejin, which constitutes grounds for termination.
In a previous hearing, ADOR argued, "The essence of this case is that the trainees changed their minds after becoming successful celebrities," emphasizing that HYBE had invested 21 billion won to fully support NewJeans.
In response to claims that trust had been broken, ADOR countered, "The trust relationship that forms the basis of an exclusive contract is not the same as the trust between friends or lovers, but rather the trust between business partners. ADOR provided opportunities for entertainment activities and properly settled profits. There is no situation in which the trust relationship has been destroyed."
NewJeans Hani appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit held on October 15 last year and showed tears while speaking. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
In contrast, the NewJeans side stated, "Currently, ADOR has been replaced by HYBE executives following the ousting of Min Heejin," and claimed, "The ADOR we trusted and relied on when signing the exclusive contract no longer exists."
They further argued that the breakdown of trust itself constitutes grounds for termination according to legal precedent, and stated that after nearly a year and a half of litigation, they have lost trust in the company.
Minji and Daniel arrived at the court at around 1:40 p.m. When asked about the possibility of mediation and the conditions for a settlement, they simply replied, "We're sorry," before heading into the courtroom.
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