NewJeans - Adore, Ongoing Mediation Process for Exclusive Contract Dispute

The exclusive contract dispute between girl group NewJeans and their agency Adore has entered the court mediation stage. The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 41 announced that it will hold a closed mediation session on the 14th at 2 PM to resolve the conflict between the two parties.

This mediation process, presided over by Chief Judge Jeong Hoe-il, is part of the lawsuit filed by Adore seeking confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contract against the five members of NewJeans. In particular, at the request of the court, two members of NewJeans are expected to appear in court to express their positions as parties involved.

Both sides are presenting opposing claims regarding the termination of the exclusive contract. The Adore side claims, "The exclusive contract is still valid and there are no grounds for termination." On the other hand, the NewJeans side counters, "The trust relationship has been destroyed due to the ousting of former CEO Min Hee-jin, which constitutes a legitimate reason for contract termination."

The court plans to directly listen to both sides' positions through the mediation process and seek a smooth resolution to the dispute. The members of NewJeans are also expected to express their views directly in court.

If the mediation on the 14th does not succeed, the court announced that it plans to issue a final ruling on October 30th.