Latest news with #Ador
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
NewJeans responds to latest court ruling on independent activities
The legal representatives of K-pop girl group NewJeans have responded to a recent court ruling which stipulated that each of the group's five members would have to pay 1 billion won (US$726,800) every time they engage in activities without the approval of South Korean music label Ador. After unilaterally ending their contracts in November 2024, citing workplace harassment and other issues, NewJeans carried out numerous independent activities, including opening a separate Instagram page, providing free food to protestors in South Korea last December, rebranding to NJZ and performing at the pop culture festival ComplexCon Hong Kong in March this year. In January this year, Ador filed an injunction to halt NewJeans' independent activities, which the Seoul Central District Court granted on Mar 21 – days before the group's ComplexCon Hong Kong performance. After their ComplexCon performance, NewJeans declared that the group will go on a hiatus to respect the court's ruling. NewJeans is currently appealing against the injunction. View this post on Instagram A post shared by COMPLEX 中文 (@complexchinese) On May 30, the Seoul Central District Court announced that it had accepted Ador's application for an indirect compulsory enforcement – a type of penalty imposed for not complying with a court order – against NewJeans. As such, the court declared that each NewJeans member will have to pay 1 billion won for every unauthorised activity performed from May 30 onwards. In response, NewJeans' legal team said the recent court ruling is "not related to the ongoing appeal of the original injunction decision". 'Today's indirect compulsory enforcement decision is only temporary until a ruling is made on the injunction appeal,' wrote the team. 'If the NewJeans members win the appeal, both the injunction and the indirect compulsory enforcement decision will become null and void. In practice, when an injunction is granted, a corresponding indirect compulsory enforcement order is typically issued as well.'
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Court orders K-pop girl group NewJeans to pay agency Ador $933,000 for each unauthorised activity
K-pop girl band NewJeans began independent activities after ending their contracts with the K-pop agency in November 2024, citing a breach of exclusivity. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL – South Korea's Seoul Central District Court has ruled that each member of NewJeans, the K-pop girl group under Hybe subsidiary Ador, must pay one billion won (S$933,000) to the agency for every entertainment activity carried out without its prior consent. The quintet – made up of members Minji, Danielle, Haerin, Hanni and Hyein – began independent activities after ending their contracts with the K-pop agency in November 2024, citing a breach of exclusivity. In January, Ador filed an injunction to block the group's solo activities and assert its role as NewJeans' management agency. According to a South Korean report, the Seoul court on May 29 accepted Ador's request for an indirect compulsory execution, a legal mechanism used to pressure a party to comply with a court order by imposing monetary penalties for non-compliance. 'Since NewJeans violated the obligations set by the injunction by performing under a new group name and even releasing new songs before and after the injunction ruling, it is necessary to impose indirect compulsory enforcement to ensure compliance with the order,' the court ruled. 'If the debtors violate these obligations from the date they receive the official copy of this decision, they must pay one billion won per violation to the creditor,' it added. The ruling does not apply retrospectively, sparing the five members from owing billions of won for unauthorised activities they have undertaken since unilaterally declaring their exclusive contracts to be terminated. 'Until a verdict on the first trial on the ongoing lawsuit regarding the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contracts is delivered, the members are prohibited from engaging in any entertainment-related activities without Ador's prior approval,' the court stated. In March, the same court sided with Ador in a preliminary injunction that barred NewJeans from signing individual endorsement or entertainment deals outside the agency's purview, further reinforcing the label's legal position in the ongoing conflict. NewJeans rebranded themselves as NJZ in February before the ruling. After the ruling in March, they performed at music festival ComplexCon in Hong Kong and debuted a new song, Pit Stop. They then announced onstage they would go on hiatus out of respect for the court decision. The second hearing in the ongoing main lawsuit to determine the validity of the contracts is scheduled for June 5. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Seoul court clips NewJeans' wings with RM3m fine threat every time they go rogue on Ador
SEOUL, May 31 — K-pop girl group NewJeans has hit a legal snag in their battle with agency Ador, with a Seoul court ruling that the members can't pursue solo or third-party activities outside the agency until their contract dispute is resolved. According to Hankook Ilbo, the Seoul Central District Court yesterday sided partially with Ador, granting an injunction that halts all individual entertainment gigs by the members — unless cleared by the agency. If any of the five violate the order, they'll each be slapped with a hefty one billion won (around RM3.1 million) penalty per breach. This decision comes months after NewJeans notified Ador last November of their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts, citing internal conflicts. Since then, the group has rebranded as NJZ and performed independently, including a high-profile appearance at ComplexCon Hong Kong. Member Haerin also took to social media to thank fans for standing by them during the legal limbo. Yesterday's ruling means those solo efforts are now on ice — at least until the court decides whether the group's contracts with Ador remain valid. In the meantime, NewJeans will also have to shoulder legal costs related to the injunction. The tug-of-war between one of K-pop's hottest acts and their label is far from over. A second court hearing in the main contract case is set for June 5.
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Deleted studio post fuels talk of NewJeans' Danielle going solo amid Ador legal row
SEOUL, May 21 — A now-deleted social media post has sparked speculation over possible solo work by Danielle of NewJeans, amid an ongoing legal dispute between the girl group and its management agency, Ador. According to The Korea Herald, American R&B duo Emotional Oranges reportedly shared a photo on Monday showing member Azad Right with Danielle in a studio setting, suggesting a potential collaboration. The image, which reportedly showed Danielle seated while Azad stood behind her, included a caption that read, 'Just wait a little bit. Coming soon,' followed by an orange emoji and a bunny emoji, a reference to NewJeans' fanbase known as Bunnies. Shortly after it was uploaded, the post was removed, prompting online speculation that its deletion may be linked to the legal conflict over NewJeans' exclusive contracts with Ador. An unnamed industry source reportedly told The Korea Herald, 'The post did go up and was later deleted. It's not fake news. However, this (Danielle's collaboration with Emotional Oranges) is not something agreed upon with Ador, if that's what it is.' In November, NewJeans announced it had ended its exclusive contracts with Ador, alleging a breach of trust, but a South Korean court later issued a provisional injunction in support of the agency, temporarily preventing the group from pursuing solo or group activities without Ador's prior approval, pending a final ruling. The next court hearing is set for June 5.
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
NewJeans' Danielle hints at solo collab with Emotional Oranges. Was Ador out of the loop?
Industry source says if the singer is indeed collaborating with the American R&B duo, it was not authorized by Ador A now-deleted social media post has fueled speculation about possible solo activity by Danielle of NewJeans, amid an ongoing contract dispute between the girl group and its agency, Ador. On Monday, American R&B duo Emotional Oranges posted a photo of member Azad Right with Danielle on social media, hinting at a potential collaboration. The image showed Danielle seated in a studio chair while Azad stood behind her, gazing in her direction. The caption read, 'Just wait a little bit. Coming soon,' followed by an orange emoji — representing the duo — and a bunny emoji, a nod to NewJeans' fandom, Bunnies. However, the post was quickly deleted, prompting speculation that its removal may be linked to the legal dispute surrounding NewJeans' exclusive contract with Ador. Some fans suggested the post was taken down out of caution, given the ongoing lawsuit over the group's attempted contract termination. Ador declined to comment on the matter. An industry source familiar with the situation told The Korea Herald, 'The post did go up and was later deleted. It's not fake news. However, this (Danielle's collaboration with Emotional Oranges) is not something agreed upon with Ador, if that's what it is.' In November, NewJeans claimed it had terminated its members' exclusive contracts with Ador, citing a breach of trust. However, the court ruled in favor of the agency in a provisional injunction, barring the group from carrying out independent activities without Ador's prior consent until a final decision is reached. As a result, all solo or group activities by NewJeans members must be pre-approved by the agency. The second hearing in the ongoing main lawsuit to determine the validity of their contracts is scheduled for June 5.
