Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, publicly addressed the court’s recent ruling in the NewJeans exclusive contract case, admitting that she was aware that the court rejected members’ claims.
On November 11, the 62 Civil Settlements Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Hyun-seok) held the third hearing in ADOR’s ₩1.1 billion damages lawsuit against production group Dolphiners Films and director Shin Woo-seok.
Min Hee-jin appeared as a witness on behalf of director Shin, defending the uploading of the director’s cut of NewJeans’ “ETA” music video on the Ban Heesoo channel. He argued that the release had been agreed upon verbally and was common practice in the entertainment industry, without resulting in any financial harm to ADOR.
In response, ADOR pointed to the court’s prior ruling in the exclusive contract lawsuit involving NewJeans. The group previously said their contract with ADOR was terminated in November last year, citing Min’s dismissal and dispute with Dolphiners Films as breaches of contract. However, the court confirmed the validity of the exclusive contract between NewJeans and ADOR.
The ruling stated: “Min Hee-jin’s dismissal alone does not constitute a breach of contract, and the dispute with Dolphiners Films does not demonstrate that they possess such irreplaceable production capabilities that ADOR would be deemed to be in breach of its contractual obligations.”
During the hearing, ADOR’s legal team questioned Min directly: “Are you aware that NewJeans’ claims were rejected in injunctive hearings and the main trial, with a final ruling issued?” Min replied, “Yes.”
ADOR pressed further, referring to the court’s observation that NewJeans’ allegations appeared to be the result of a thorough pre-litigation review by Min Hee-jin of documents shared between HYBE, ADOR and the group. The court believed that this preparation was intended to shape public opinion against HYBE and form the basis for legal action. Min responded: “This trial is about whether Director Shin should be held liable for damages, that is the key issue here.”
NewJeans appealed the court’s decision in the exclusive contract case. Meanwhile, Min Hee-jin recently launched her new agency, “ooak”.
The high-profile dispute continues to attract widespread attention in the K-pop industry, especially because it involves one of the genre’s most successful fourth-generation groups and the former celebrity executive who helped create their debut hit.
Sources: naver
