The ongoing fight between NewJeans and ADOR over the validity of the girl group’s exclusive contracts looks like it’s heading toward a courtroom decision. On September 11, about a month after the first court-ordered settlement talks failed, both sides were given another chance to discuss the dispute and try to find common ground. The second mediation was held at the Seoul Central District Court Civil Mediation Division 41, under Judge Jung Hoi Il. It was conducted privately, with no media or public access.
Unfortunately, the latest talks fell apart. Unlike the first mediation, where members Minji and Danielle attended, no NewJeans members participated this time. Reports from Chosun Ilbo and Korea JoongAng Daily suggest that the one-hour-and-twenty-minute session did not produce any resolution. With settlement talks on both August 14 and September 11 failing, the case is now set to move toward a verdict scheduled for October 30.
The court’s ruling will be crucial for both parties. It will determine the future of NewJeans as a group in the K-pop world and clarify ADOR’s management rights over them. The legal dispute started in November 2024 when Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein announced they wanted to promote individually, claiming the agency had violated terms of their contracts. They also demanded the reinstatement of Min Hee Jin, the former CEO, along with other original employees. ADOR, on the other hand, rejected these demands and insisted it had full rights to continue managing the group, arguing that there were no valid grounds for termination.