On January 13, the 62 Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court issued its verdict in ADOR’s civil case seeking approximately ₩1.1 billion in damages from Dolphiners Films. The controversy arose from the unauthorized release of a director’s cut of NewJeans “AND” music video in August 2024.
Dolphiners Films, which had been external video production partner for ADOR, uploaded the director’s cut “AND” music video on your YouTube channel without obtaining written approval from ADOR. As the copyright holder of video content related to NewJeans, ADOR requested the removal of the video, citing the lack of prior consent required by contract.
In response, director Shin Woo Seok of Dolphiners Films unexpectedly deleted all NewJeans-related videos from another unofficial fan channel he operated, known as the “Ban Heesoo channel”. This sudden move sparked a backlash from fans, many of whom criticized ADOR after losing access to the content.
Shin Woo Seok’s side claimed that there had been a verbal agreement during former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin’s tenure, claiming that the upload of the Director’s Cut had been approved. ADOR strongly denied this, stating that the video was released without authorization and that there was no verbal agreement.
The conflict further escalated in November 2024, when Shin Woo Seok filed a criminal complaint, claiming that ADOR’s public statement referring to the upload as “unauthorized” had damaged its reputation. In turn, ADOR filed a civil lawsuit requesting compensation for damages for breach of contract.
During the trial both parties clashed over whether prior consent had been given and whether the upload constituted a breach of contractual obligations as well as copyright and portrait rights. The case attracted particular attention when Min Hee Jin appeared in court as a witness for Dolphiners Films, marking one of the rare occasions she testified outside of her stock litigation. He claimed that there was a verbal agreement with Shin Woo Seok, stating that the upload of the “AND” the director’s cut had been mutually agreed upon.
However, the court did not accept this argument.
In its ruling, the court ordered Dolphiners Films to pay ADOR ₩1 billion, plus interest calculated at an annual rate of 12% starting December 14, 2024, until paid in full. The court rejected the remaining claims, including ADOR’s separate ₩100 million defamation claim against Shin Woo Seok personally, and outlined the division of litigation costs accordingly.
Because the court recognized breach of contract and awarded most of the damages sought, the verdict is widely seen as a near-total victory for ADOR. In particular, although the testimonies refer to “verbal agreements” and sector “customs”, the court underlined the pre-eminence of written contracts, effectively rejecting Min Hee Jin’s claims and strengthening the legal weight of formal consent procedures.
The ruling marks a significant legal milestone in the ongoing content disputes surrounding ADOR and NewJeans, underscoring the importance of contractual enforcement in the K-pop industry’s production ecosystem.
Sources: Daum
