The group NewJeans, consisting of five members, gathered fans to celebrate their 1000th day since debut, while the injunction application was dismissed. As a result, NewJeans members decided to immediately appeal.
NewJeans members celebrated their 1000th day since debut on the 16th. Since announcing their hiatus at ComplexCon held at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong on the 23rd of the previous month, members managing their schedules by either going on trips or visiting birthday cafes sent messages to fans through the social media accounts opened during their independent activities.
NewJeans members shared a photo of sunflowers and expressed their gratitude by saying, "NIZ! It has been 1000 days since we met! The 1000 days with Bunnies have been happy," and added, "1000 days with Bunnies. Congratulations to the members and Bunnies! Thank you so much for cheering us on; it really has given us a lot of strength. I hope that as you look at the scenery that makes you feel good, as I did when I took this photo, you can sometimes lighten your heart. Thank you, Bunnies."
In particular, they noted, "I feel a bit sorry for not keeping in touch for so long, but I'm filling this time by recharging myself (it may be a bit selfish), so I can promise that I will treat you all brighter than anyone else and meet you joyfully later on." They continued, "As I always say, our Bunnies are those who find it hard to exist in this world, and we are truly grateful for just your presence beside us. I appreciate that you are waiting for us even in these difficult times. Although we lost some time we could have spent together, I hope you can expect a brighter future as we will fill it with even better memories. I do." They focused on uniting the dispersed fandom due to the legal battle.
Despite the gathering of the fandom on their 1000th day since debut, it has been reported that NewJeans members lost again in court. The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50 (Chief Judge Kim Sang-hoon) dismissed the injunction application filed by the five members of NewJeans.
Earlier, on the 21st of the previous month, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50 accepted the injunction application filed by ADOR against the five members of NewJeans to maintain the status of the agency and prohibit the signing of advertising contracts, and issued a favorable ruling. As a result, NewJeans members submitted an objection and declared a halt to their activities. The hearing on the objection held on the 9th was conducted privately for 15 minutes, attended only by the representatives of both sides.
The court did not accept NewJeans's objection. Consequently, NewJeans members decided to immediately appeal. The legal representatives stated, "Today, the court that originally ruled on the injunction has upheld its decision, and we have promptly submitted the appeal," adding, "We will diligently engage in the forthcoming legal proceedings and do our best to clarify the facts."
NewJeans members are currently engaged in not only the injunction application but also in a contract dispute lawsuit. ADOR maintains that the exclusive contract signed in April 2022 remains valid due to insufficient procedural and substantive grounds when NewJeans unilaterally notified of its termination. Conversely, NewJeans argues that the trust relationship has been shattered due to the ousting of former CEO Min Hee-jin, who successfully managed ADOR, thus the termination notice is legitimate.
On the 3rd, during the first hearing of the contract lawsuit, the judge remarked, "There was a case where someone asked to terminate a contract without ever receiving a settlement nor rising to the occasion. Isn't it true that without Min's presence, NewJeans wouldn't have even been a trainee at ADOR? Am I thinking incorrectly?" The judge added, "Usually, a broken trust relationship clearly indicates that there has been no settlement; however, this case is unusual, so I will consider how to view the trust relationship in long-term contract management and producing." The second hearing will take place on June 5.
[OSEN]