The group LE SSERAFIM's side rebutted claims that they received preferential treatment during the selection process for brand ambassadors.
LE SSERAFIM's agency SO SMUSIC announced on the official SNS on the 7th, "We would like to clarify the factual inaccuracies that have been raised today regarding our company and our artists."
The agency stated, "LE SSERAFIM has not received preferential treatment or gained unfair advantage in the process of being selected as ambassadors for a specific brand. The relationship with the brand started when Sakura signed a contract with them in April 2022," adding, "This was carried out completely independently from other artists, and this can be sufficiently proven with objective data, and we can clarify this at any time as legally needed."
Additionally, regarding claims about the debut timing and process of NewJeans, they noted, "This is very different from the objective facts," and added, "We provided all support for NewJeans members until the point they were transferred to ADOR. Nonetheless, due to falsehoods spread by the former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin during a press conference last April, we filed a damages claim against her in July, and the lawsuit is currently ongoing. We express deep regret that there was an unilateral claim made without the minimal effort to ascertain the correct facts."
They continued, "Mentioning an artist's real name based on unverified inaccurate information is an irresponsible and serious act that should not be done to any artist," emphasizing, "This not only makes fellow artists subject to criticism through unilateral claims but also instills incorrect perceptions among fans and the public, raising concerns about creating an environment where unfounded claims unrelated to the facts are rampant. We take this situation very seriously and will take all necessary legal actions to correct this."
Earlier on this day, the 50th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon) held a hearing for the provisional injunction filed by ADOR against NewJeans (NJZ) members regarding the preservation of their status as a management company and the prohibition on signing advertisements.
As the representatives of NewJeans (NJZ) and ADOR Kim Ju-young appeared in court, ADOR stated, "There are no grounds for terminating the exclusive contract," while NewJeans (NJZ) argued, "The essence of the case is that HYBE and ADOR were trying to discriminate against, exclude, and replace NewJeans (NJZ) with another group."
Here is the full statement from SO SMUSIC.
Hello, this is SO SMUSIC. [Photo] SO SMUSIC [OSEN]