[Photo &] 'KRW 43 Billion Lawsuit' ADOR vs NewJeans' Danielle·Min Hee-jin, First Oral Arguments

'ADOR', a KRW 43 billion-plus 'damages' lawsuit filed against 'Min Hee-jin'·'Danielle' gets under way

ADOR, the agency of the girl group 'NewJeans', has filed a massive 'damages' lawsuit seeking 43 billion won against former CEO 'Min Hee-jin' and member 'Danielle', marking the start of a legal dispute. On the 26th, the 31st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court held the first pretrial conference for the case. ADOR's side argues that the departure-and-return-delay incident involving these individuals caused enormous financial and commercial damages, and they maintain that they will pursue serious legal responsibility. Following ADOR's final win in last December's lawsuit that upheld the validity of exclusive contracts, the return timeline for the remaining three members has already been confirmed. This lawsuit is expected to set an important precedent across the music industry, shedding light on contract cancellations between agencies and artists and on who is responsible.

'Danielle' receives notice of termination of exclusive contract… a complex legal calculation involving 'HYBE'

'ADOR' has concluded that 'Danielle' can no longer take part in activities as a 'NewJeans' member, and it delivered a notice of termination of her exclusive contract while simultaneously launching a large-scale lawsuit. Meanwhile, member Minji is continuing behind-the-scenes discussions while laying out specific return conditions. In particular, the panel handling this case previously ruled in favor of 'Min Hee-jin' in last month's shareholder-contract termination lawsuit between 'HYBE' and former CEO 'Min Hee-jin', drawing attention to how the dispute may unfold. At the time, the panel ordered 'HYBE' to pay 25.5 billion won, but 'HYBE' has appealed, and the appellate proceedings are currently under way. With intense legal arguments expected from both sides, industry attention is focused on where this 'damages' lawsuit—tied to an enormous sum—will ultimately lead.