The K-Pop Girl Newjeans group has been officially prohibited to pursue independent activities outside their management company after not having submitted an appeal to the South Korea Southern South Court within the deadline.
The decision of the Court was aimed on Wednesday since the Idol group did not submit a re -appeal against the injunction within the expiry of a week forced by the law.
The Soul High Court had previously fired Newjeans’ appeal on June 17, supporting the decision of a lower court that granted Ador’s request for an injunction to prevent the five members from independently signing advertising contracts or pursuing separate musical activities. According to the South Korean law, any appeal to the Supreme Court must be done within seven days from the sentence of a Court of Appeal.
The legal dispute began in November 2024, when the Newjeans unilaterally declared their contracts with Ador terminated, citing a violation of trust. The group, made up of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein members, accused Ador of violating the terms of their exclusive contract and announced that they would continue the activities independently under the new NJZ name.
In response to the group’s departure, Ador submitted a application for a injunction In January 2025, that the central district court of Soul granted in March. The injunction ordered the conservation of the agency’s exclusive management rights and prohibited members of entering into commercial agreements independently, including the sponsorships of the brand.
The Court expressed concern for the potential damages to Ador, underlining that if the members had acted outside the limits of their contract, they could unjustly benefit from the previous investments of Ador while the agency would have suffered serious financial losses. The sentence stated that Newjeans should not engage in independent activities without prior approval or consent of Ador.
By adding financial pressure to the prohibition, the Court also approved Adr’s request for indirect compulsory application, imposing a penalty of 1 billion victories (about $ 730,000) on each member for each unauthorized entertainment activity. If all five members collectively engage in independent activities, the sanction could reach 5 billion wins per accident.
The Court discovered that the Newjeans had already violated the injunction by performing under the name Njz at the Hong Kong complex in March and releasing new music, including the song “Pit Stop”. These activities took place a few days after the emission of the original.
Despite the Legal setbacksNewjeans has maintained its position that confidence with Ador was completely broken. During a recent judicial hearing on June 5, the group’s legal representatives rejected the proposals for settlement, stating that “the trust was completely broken. You cannot go back”.
The primary cause in progress to determine the validity of the exclusive contracts of Newjeans with Adr continues, with the third hearing scheduled for July 24, 2025. Until a final decision is made in that case, the injunction that prohibits independent activities remains in force.
