ADOR's 43.1 billion won damages suit against NewJeans member Danielle and former ADOR Director General Min Hee-jin will begin its first hearing on the 13th. As a first-instance ruling has already found the exclusive contract valid, observers say the trial will focus on whether Danielle breached the contract and how to calculate damages.
The Civil Agreement Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Nam In-su, Director General) will open the first hearing at 3:10 p.m. that day for ADOR's damages claim against Danielle, Danielle's mother, and former Director General Min.
ADOR notified Danielle of the termination of the exclusive contract in Dec. 2025 and then filed suit. The total claim is 43.1 billion won. It seeks a 30 billion won penalty and 3.1 billion won in damages for nonperformance from Danielle, and 10 billion won from Danielle's mother and the former Director General Min, holding them responsible for NewJeans' departure and delayed return. A penalty is a contractual sum imposed as a sanction, separate from actual damages, when a contract is breached.
The case is a follow-up liability suit stemming from the NewJeans exclusive contract dispute. In Nov. 2024, the NewJeans members asserted termination of the exclusive contract, citing ADOR's breach. ADOR responded that the exclusive contract remained valid and filed a suit to confirm its validity and a preliminary injunction to bar independent activities.
In the first-instance case to confirm the contract's validity, the court sided with ADOR. The court found that former Director General Min's dismissal alone did not create a vacuum in NewJeans' management and that ADOR had no contractual duty under the exclusive agreement to guarantee Min's position as director general. It also rejected NewJeans' claims of a breakdown in trust and grounds for termination.
Before the merits were decided, the court also granted ADOR's injunction request to block NewJeans' independent activities. As a result, NewJeans' independent activities were restricted, and the issues of Danielle's contract termination and damages proceeded as a separate lawsuit.
The crux of the day's hearing is whether the finding that the exclusive contract is valid directly leads to liability for a roughly 30 billion won penalty and separate damages. Danielle's side is likely to contest the alleged breach itself, the occurrence of damages, and the method of calculating damages. ADOR is expected to argue breach and damages based on the ruling upholding the contract's validity and the decision restricting independent activities.
Another issue is whether responsibility can extend to Danielle's family and the former Director General Min. ADOR is expected to argue they were involved in NewJeans' departure and the delay in their return. Danielle's side is expected to challenge causation between the acts and the damages, the size of the claim, and the propriety of claims against family members.
The same panel previously ruled in favor of the former Director General Min in the shareholder agreement and put option suit with HYBE. However, the current case separately examines breach of the exclusive contract and liability for damages. As the possibility of settlement was mentioned at an earlier preparatory hearing, how far both sides contest the scope of liability and the amount of damages at the first hearing is expected to shape the course of future proceedings.