Attorney Go Sang-rok, a former member of Kim & Chang, noted his concerns after seeing an interview article in Time about NewJeans (NJZ).

Attorney Go was the person who pointed out that during NewJeans' first press conference last September, if HYBE wants to be a great corporation, it should not treat its artists as products. He is also referred to as a 'true fan' of NewJeans in online communities.

After the temporary injunction decision, Go stated it was noteworthy that he expressed his concerns after seeing NewJeans' first foreign media interview. In a post shared on his YouTube channel, he opened up by saying, "If this attitude is taken right after the court's judgment, it is hard to escape criticism for 'lying, attacking fellow members, and demonizing the opponent to confront the industry or company's injustices.'"

He continued, "Looking back at my case, there are many problems in both the IT industry and the legal profession, and there are irrationalities in both Samsung Electronics and Kim & Chang. However, if I received opportunities and help from within, then the resistance and criticism of those irrationalities should come from a sense of pride and gratitude as a member, which should be convincing and powerful."

He added, "If one truly wants reform as someone who has gained opportunities by taking advantage of the system built by countless people's efforts, there are certain responsibilities that must be upheld. This cannot be done without respect and courtesy towards seniors and colleagues, as well as self-sacrifice. If one lacks the will and determination to do that and just wants to act freely or earn more money without limit, then at the very least, they should keep quiet about their contracts and leave the organization at the appropriate time to establish their own affairs, just as I and others have done. After all, Michael Jordan is not greater than the NBA, nor are Newton or Einstein above physics. We must not forget that we all live and thrive on the systems that our predecessors have worked hard to build for a long time."

He emphasized, "The way to improve and develop it should not involve insulting, disparaging, or demonizing that system."

Attorney Go also said, "Initially, they aligned with Min Hee-jin to attack the parent company and other labels and their associated artists, but now they deny the industry entirely and ultimately ignore even the court, pushing Korea into a pathetic society and spewing hate-filled remarks. Where will they stand after this? They ignored contracts, and when it could not be resolved by law, they rushed to the National Assembly, and now that even that is not working, they run to a major media outlet in the West that has criticized the K-pop idol training system from a Western perspective, spewing words that seem tailored to their taste and presenting themselves as martyrs."

Finally, he remarked, "In a situation where the lies hidden in the evidence submitted by their lawyer to the court have been revealed, clinging to an interview with foreign media conducted in English and pretending to play a warrior will not cover up the essence of the matter. It is time to wake up from the dream." He expressed hope that he and others would adhere to a minimum standard so people could help.

Meanwhile, NewJeans, which earlier stated it would "respect the court's decision," has expressed to Time magazine that it finds the court's ruling disappointing.

The five members of NewJeans held an emergency press conference on Nov. 28 last year, declaring their termination of the contract with their agency ADOR. They stated that ADOR had neither the will nor the capacity to protect them and that it had taken no actions to correct the issues previously communicated through registered mail. In contrast, ADOR aimed to legally affirm the validity of the exclusive contract against the members after their declaration of contract termination.

The members of NewJeans raised concerns regarding ▲ the fear of a production gap due to the dismissal of former CEO Min Hee-jin ▲ the claim by then-CEO Park Ji-won that he would give 'long vacations' to the NewJeans members ▲ the dispute between director Shin Woo-seok and ADOR ▲ the inclusion of the phrase 'abandon the new and create anew' in HYBE's May 10, 2023, music report ▲ attempts by the group ILY:1 under Belift Lab to undermine the uniqueness of NewJeans ▲ the remark 'ignore' made to NewJeans member Hanni by a manager affiliated with Belift Lab ▲ the leakage of photos and videos from NewJeans members' trainee days.

However, on the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50 (Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon) accepted and ruled on ADOR's request for a temporary injunction against NewJeans' five members, stating that "without prior approval or consent from ADOR, they must not engage in entertainment activities, whether independently (including their legal representatives) or through third parties."

The court determined, "Based solely on the claims and evidence provided by the debtors (the five members of NewJeans), it cannot be sufficiently established that the creditor (ADOR) violated important obligations under the exclusive contract, thereby causing grounds for termination or that the mutual trust was irreparably damaged."

In an interview published by Time magazine, the members of NewJeans expressed, "While we are disappointed by the court ruling, we did not expect the issues in the K-pop industry to change overnight. Compared to everything we've been through, this is merely another stage in our journey. This is the reality of Korea. However, that is why we believe we need change and growth. It seems like Korea wants to make us revolutionaries."

The hearing date for the lawsuit confirming the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contract is set for April 3.

[Photo] OSEN DB

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