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Appellate court dismisses NewJeans appeal on ADOR injunction

Published: 17 Jun. 2025, 16:32

NewJeans members respond to questions from the media at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on March 7. [NEWS1]

A Seoul appellate court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the members of K-pop girl group NewJeans, effectively reaffirming a ban on the group pursuing any independent activities outside of their agency, ADOR.

The ruling upholds a previous injunction issued by the Seoul Central District Court in March, which barred the five members from entering endorsement deals or performing under the group’s name without ADOR’s involvement. The injunction recognized the label's exclusive rights as the group's management agency under parent company HYBE.

“Even after reviewing the arguments and supporting evidence reiterated by the respondents, the original injunction remains valid,” the court said at the time, upon which the members then appealed to the high court.

Back in March, the Seoul Central District Court granted an injunction filed by ADOR to ban NewJeans from independently entering endorsement deals or performing under the group's name, recognizing the agency's right to retain its status as the group's management agency.

Girl group NewJeans [ADOR]

The members had declared their contracts with ADOR terminated last November, claiming that the label had violated their exclusive contracts and had since been pursuing independent activities. However, the court’s injunction in favor of ADOR effectively barred such activities.

Separately, a civil suit filed by ADOR seeking confirmation that its exclusive contracts with the members remain valid is ongoing in its first trial.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]