Entertainment agency Adore refuted the claim made by NewJeans members that they cannot operate without producer Min Hee-jin, stating that there is a contradiction in their argument.
On the morning of the 3rd, at 11:30 AM, the 41st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Hoe-il) held the first hearing for the validity confirmation lawsuit filed by Adore against the NewJeans members regarding their exclusive contract.
On this day, Adore's lawyer stated, "The defendants emphasize that they cannot engage in entertainment activities without producer Min Hee-jin. While it is true that Min Hee-jin contributed to the formation of today's NewJeans, saying that NewJeans cannot exist without her is unreasonable."
He continued, "Adore is a subsidiary of HYBE, the industry leader, and therefore has sufficient capability to find other producers. Since NewJeans recently prepared for and successfully completed a performance in Hong Kong without Min Hee-jin, the claim that she is absolutely necessary contradicts the defendants' statements and actions."
In response, NewJeans' lawyer argued, "Regardless of how important former representative Min Hee-jin was to the defendants, the plaintiffs had about 6 to 7 months to prepare for another producer. Yet, the defendants' opinion is that no alternatives were provided. It is not just about Min Hee-jin's absence; we believe it is important that there was no communication with the defendants regarding alternatives."
NewJeans and Adore have been in a dispute over their exclusive contract since November of last year. On November 29, NewJeans notified Adore of the termination of their exclusive contract and announced that they would begin independent activities under the new name NJZ.
In response, Adore stated, "Claiming that trust has been unilaterally broken does not constitute grounds for termination," and filed a lawsuit for the confirmation of the validity of the exclusive contract against NewJeans on December 3. On January 6, they also applied for a provisional injunction to prevent the preservation of the agency's status and the signing of advertising contracts.
On March 21, the court ruled to 'fully grant' Adore's request for a provisional injunction regarding the preservation of the agency's status and the signing of advertising contracts. According to the court's decision, NewJeans is prohibited from engaging in independent activities without Adore's prior approval or consent until the first instance result of the main lawsuit is issued.
On the day the provisional injunction was granted, NewJeans submitted an objection to the court as a sign of 'discontent' and announced a halt to their activities during a performance in Hong Kong two days later.
Separately from the main lawsuit, a hearing date for the objection to the provisional injunction filed by NewJeans members is scheduled for the 9th.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
