Court rules against K-pop group NewJeans in label dispute
NN ONLINE:
A South Korean court ruled on Thursday against popular K-pop group NewJeans, whose members had sought to cut contractual ties with their label ADOR over what they called “mistreatment” by the agency. The five-member girl group made headlines in November by announcing the decision to leave ADOR, whose parent company HYBE is also behind K-pop sensation BTS.
The label then filed for an injunction, requesting the court to prohibit the group’s members from engaging in independent commercial activities and allowing it to remain NewJeans’ managing agency. The Seoul Central District Court in Thursday’s decision, its second in favour of ADOR, rejected NewJeans’ claims that mistreatment had led to the “irreparable breakdown of trust”.
“The court accepted all positions of the agency, keeping its contract with the group valid,” a court representative told AFP. The court had already accepted ADOR’s initial injunction request in March to prohibit the group from seeking outside opportunities without the label’s consents while legal proceedings took place.
“The level of trust between ADOR and NewJeans cannot be considered so damaged as to justify terminating the exclusive contract,” the court said in Thursday’s verdict, according to Yonhap news agency. NewJeans is among HYBE’s most successful acts since the band made its debut in 2022.
The heated contractual dispute flared up last year after allegations that HYBE forced out the band’s star producer, Min Hee-jin, from her role as CEO of ADOR. NewJeans’ members then issued an ultimatum demanding Min’s reinstatement, which HYBE declined.
In response, the members took their grievances public, accusing the label of intentionally sabotaging their careers. Band member Hanni alleged last year that the group experienced workplace harassment, such as “deliberate miscommunications and manipulation” while working with ADOR.
The court said on Thursday, according to Yonhap, that there was “no provision in the contract requiring Min, the former CEO, to necessarily head ADOR”.