Members of the group NewJeans, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and HAEIN, have declared a suspension of activities and filed an objection with the court that halted their solo activities, while the fandom is also supporting them. However, contrary to their hopeful expectations, the situation is not optimistic.
On the 21st, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50 (Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon) accepted ADOR's injunction request against the five members of NewJeans regarding the 'preservation of agency status and prohibition of advertising contracts' and ruled in favor.
According to the decision document, the court reviewed the following issues: ▲ the production gap caused by the dismissal of ADOR's CEO Min Hee-jin; ▲ the statement by HYBE CEO Park Ji-won that he would give 'Kim Min-ji and others a long vacation'; ▲ the dispute between director Shin Woo-seok of the Dolphin Kidnapping team and ADOR; ▲ the phrase 'NewJeans can be replaced with something new' stated in HYBE's music industry report dated May 10, 2023; ▲ the issue of ILLIT's uniqueness regarding NewJeans; ▲ Hanni hearing the 'ignore' remarks from a manager from ILLIT; ▲ the leakage of photos and videos of Kim Min-ji and others from their trainee days; ▲ derogatory remarks made by a HYBE public relations officer regarding NewJeans' achievements; ▲ the devaluation of NewJeans' performance due to HYBE's album pushing practices; ▲ and the remarks made by HYBE's Chief Strategy Officer Lee Jae-sang that he was considering destroying the NewJeans brand value along with Min Hee-jin. The court concluded that the claims and documents submitted by Kim Min-ji and others were not enough to sufficiently prove that ADOR violated significant obligations in the exclusive contract.
The five members acknowledged that the reasons mentioned for 'trust breakdown' were not recognized, but they are preparing a counterattack against the court's decision.
The fandom Bunnies is supporting the five members. Bunnies stated through X (formerly Twitter) that they have sought advice from various attorneys and law firms to review the current situation as objectively as possible and that they have organized their position.
According to Bunnies, they consulted with many legal representatives over the past few days, including the current legal representative Sejong, four large law firms, three former judges, a current lawyer with 17 years of experience, and a lawyer who is a former judge. They noted, 'We recognize that many Bunnies are currently confused. However, as mentioned, many legal professionals are deeply discussing the current situation, and Team Bunnies is also preparing a statement summarizing the main legal issues,' adding, 'While the situation is undoubtedly difficult, we have already completed sufficient discussions and are prepared for future plans.'
Even though the five members and Team Bunnies are hopeful, the situation is not easy. The five members submitted an objection statement to the Seoul Central District Court, but if their objection is accepted, the same court will hear the case again. Since the court previously rejected all of the five members' claims and issued an injunction, there are expectations that it will be difficult to overturn the decision even if it is heard again.
Additionally, some legal professionals view the future of the five members pessimistically. Lawyer Ko Sang-rok, known as a staunch fan of NewJeans and a former member of Kim & Chang, said, 'In this situation, where the lies in the evidence presented by their own lawyer to the court have been revealed, it is naive to think that merely doing an interview with foreign media in English will cover up the essence of this matter. After the court's decision, I want to believe that the mistakes made in the hastily conducted interview were just that. I hope that people will maintain a minimum standard to help, including myself.'
On the other hand, a lawyer predicted in an anonymous community under the title 'The Future of NewJeans and ADOR' that 'The NewJeans lawsuit has a very high probability of losing even in the main case. The problem is that if appeals and retrials are pursued, it will take at least three years to reach a conclusion, and by that time, considering the lifespan of an idol and the speed of changes in current public opinion, the music market, and trends, one cannot help but wonder what benefit this dispute will have for NewJeans.'
Meanwhile, attorney Lee Hyun-gon, who has supported the five members, analyzed, 'This case should not become a lawsuit questioning the grounds for terminating the contract. Once the case falls into muddy waters, responsibility cannot be determined. And Kim & Chang are very good at such arguments. The important point is that the trust relationship between ADOR and NJZ has irrevocably broken, and we just need to prove this fact. This is because precedents recognize the destruction of trust as grounds for contract termination.'
Meanwhile, the five members performed their last stage at 'ComplexCon Hong Kong' held at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong on the 23rd, stating, 'Today's stage might be the last performance for a while. We decided to cease all activities to respect the court's decision. It is not an easy decision, but we want to regain our strength and move forward. We hope you understand that this is not the end. We promise to return, and when we do, we want to meet you with bright smiles.'
In response, ADOR stated, 'We are very saddened by the decision to perform under a different name instead of NewJeans and to unilaterally declare a suspension of activities despite the court's ruling. ADOR wishes to do its best for NewJeans in accordance with the valid exclusive contract and hopes to meet with the artists soon to discuss the future.'
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