NewJeans‘ team reacted sensitively to allegations that former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin attempted to “steal” NewJeans.
On July 24, the 41st Civil Court of the Seoul Central District Court (presided over by Judge Jung Hui Il) held the third hearing in the lawsuit filed by ADOR against the NewJeans members (Minji, Hani, Daniel, Hae-in, and Hye-in) to determine the validity of the exclusivity contract.
During the hearing, both ADOR and the NewJeans team gave 30-minute presentations defending their respective positions. Before the formal hearing began, NewJeans asked the court to “refrain from mentioning evidence illegally collected during open court sessions, even if it has been presented to the court.”
After the court accepted this request, the ADOR team mentioned during the argument part of a conversation between Min Heejin and an acquaintance on KakaoTalk in which she said, “I’ll take over NewJeans after three years.” As a result, the team of NewJeans objected loudly, saying, “We’ve repeatedly requested that this evidence not be presented in open court, but they deliberately continue to present it.”
The judge then declared, “I am aware of this! Do you believe that journalists are ignorant? The NewJeans crew persisted in objecting in spite of this. In response, the judge said, “Avoid interfering with the proceedings. Keep your cool. The conversation came to an end when it was said, “The topic of attempting to take over NewJeans has been discussed numerous times before.”
Last November, during an emergency press conference, NewJeans announced a breakdown in trust with ADOR and HYBE and demanded the termination of the contract. In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to validate the exclusivity agreement and requested a temporary injunction preventing the change of agency or the signing of advertising contracts.
In the two previous hearings, tensions between the two sides continued. Although ADOR expressed an intention to reach a settlement, the NewJeans team rejected it, asserting that “the relationship has completely collapsed, and there is no way back,” indicating that they do not intend to reach any agreement.
In contrast, ADOR stated, “The reasons NewJeans is presenting for terminating the contract continue to change and are unjustified,” adding that it will submit a detailed memorandum before the next hearing.
It is worth noting that ADOR had previously obtained a temporary court order protecting its status as NewJeans’ official agency and preventing the members from signing any advertising contracts with other parties. The court also upheld this order on appeal.
Min Hee Jin attempts to steal NewJeans… the court intervenes
