ADOR, a subsidiary under Korean entertainment company HYBE, filed a preliminary injunction with a Seoul court to prevent members of K-pop girl group NewJeans from signing independent advertising contracts without its consent.
NewJeans held a press conference in November last year and announced that they terminated their exclusive contract with ADOR.
ADOR denied NewJeans’ claims, saying, “We regret that the press conference regarding the termination of the exclusive contract was planned and conducted without sufficient review, prior to receiving a response to the legal notice.”
NewJeans (X)
“ADOR, as the contractual party, has not violated the terms of the agreement. A unilateral claim of a breach of trust does not constitute valid grounds for terminating the contract. The exclusive agreement between ADOR and the NewJeans members remains in full effect. Therefore, we respectfully request that the group continue its collaboration with ADOR on upcoming activities, as has been the practice to date,” ADOR stated then.
The agency announced on Jan. 13 that last week, it “filed a preliminary injunction with the Seoul Central District Court to prevent the NewJeans members from engaging in any independent promotional activities without the company's consent and to reaffirm the company's position as the group's exclusive management agency.”
Preliminary injunction “is an injunction that may be granted before or during trial , with the goal of preserving the status quo before final judgment, according to the Cornell Legal Information Institute website.
The case follows ADOR’s Dec. 3 lawsuit “in which the company sought a declaration affirming the validity of its exclusive contracts with the NewJeans members.”
“The current injunction is designed to preserve ADOR’s exclusive management rights until a ruling is made on the first lawsuit,” it said.
Here is the rest of ADOR’s statement about its new lawsuit:
“The company initiated this legal action due to the NewJeans members’ unilateral termination of their contracts and attempts to engage in promotional agreements with advertisers independently. Such actions have resulted in confusion and potential harm to third parties, including advertisers.
“While ADOR’s initial lawsuit seeks to validate the exclusivity of the contracts, the legal proceedings may take considerable time. To address immediate concerns and prevent further disruptions, ADOR has been compelled to pursue additional injunction.
“This legal step underscores ADOR's commitment to its continued partnership with NewJeans and its belief that the members’ independent actions could negatively affect the group’s brand value, and ultimately, threaten the company’s business. The injunction also reflects concerns that, should the members continue their independent activities, it could lead to unnecessary legal disputes, ultimately impacting the company’s long-term viability. Even if a final legal judgment confirms the contracts’ validity in the future, it may not be possible to fully restore the situation by then.
“In the injunction application, ADOR included the need to provide an opportunity to correct any missteps before legal liabilities escalate uncontrollably, for the sake of NewJeans members. The company also conveyed widespread concerns within the industry, noting that if a precedent is set whereby exclusive contracts can be unilaterally terminated and independent activities pursued without following legal procedures, it could undermine investment in the entertainment industry, destabilizing the foundation of the K-pop sector.
“ADOR has continued to support NewJeans by providing necessary resources and facilities as the company believes the exclusive agreement remains valid, and plans to maintain this support moving forward.
"Additionally, ADOR has received external proposals for various projects, such as advertisements and promotional events, and has finalized plans for this year’s activities, including the release of a studio album and fan meets. ADOR has expressed its intent to fully communicate with the NewJeans members as these plans progress.”