On October 30, Cho Myeon-sik, lead attorney at Gate law firm, shared his thoughts on social media regarding NewJeans’ emergency press conference and their statement to terminate their contract with ADOR.
Cho explained: “NewJeans followed contractual procedures by requiring ADOR to correct its violations within a pre-established grace period. They then notified ADOR of termination of the contract for non-performance but chose not to take any legal action, including injunctions.” He emphasized that a violation does not automatically lead to termination. “A remediation period must be provided, and if violations remain unresolved within that period, legal grounds for termination are established.”
He added: “NewJeans has exercised its legal right to withdraw. What NewJeans is probably hoping is that ADOR will respond by filing its own termination notice and seeking damages.” Cho downplayed concerns about potential financial claims, saying: “Even if ADOR seeks astronomical damages, there is no need to worry. Judges are unlikely to award incredibly high amounts.“
Cho concluded: “This is exactly what NewJeans is aiming for. ADOR finds itself in a difficult position, essentially forced to file a lawsuit. Cases like this are not won or lost solely on legal grounds.”
Previously, on October 13, NewJeans sent a letter to ADOR asking:
- A formal apology from a manager who allegedly told others to “ignore” Hanni.
- Action against HYBE public relations director for allegedly downplaying NewJeans results.
- Measures against the unauthorized release of photos and videos of trainees.
- An investigation and resolution of the harm caused by alleged “card manipulation.”
- Resolved a dispute with music video director Shin Woo-seok of Dolphin Kidnappers and recovered lost project materials.
On October 28, NewJeans held an emergency press conference, announcing that ADOR had failed to address the issue within the 14-day remediation period. They declared their exclusive contract with ADOR terminated as of midnight on October 29th.
ADOR, however, insists that the contract remains valid. The company said: “The artists sent out a notice on October 13 with eight requests. We responded with the best possible measures and provided a detailed response via email and certified mail by the November 28 deadline.ADOR also expressed its desire for a sincere dialogue with NewJeans to resolve the matter.
Source: Daum
