ADOR files lawsuit to verify NewJeans contract validity

nme.com:

ADOR has filed a lawsuit to legally verify the validity of its contracts with NewJeans.Yesterday (December 4), per Soompi, the South Korean music label released a statement sharing that it has filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of its exclusive contracts with the girl group.

The company stated that it was “necessary” in order to “ensure its continued legal enforcement”.NewJeans held an emergency press conference on November 28, announcing that they were terminating their exclusive contracts with ADOR.

It came two weeks after the band issued the agency a legal notice, stating that they would terminate their contracts if ADOR did not resolve alleged contract breaches.The next day, the label refuted the statement, claiming their contract with the group “remains in full effect”.ADOR, a subsidiary label of entertainment giant HYBE, said “it was necessary to clarify to both the artist and all relevant stakeholders that our exclusive contract cannot be unilaterally terminated based solely on the claims from one side”.The company also added that this decision to file a lawsuit was made to “protect the trust-based relationships that have driven the growth of the K-pop industry”.“We believe it is important to clarify any misunderstanding that the exclusive contract with the artist has been lawfully terminated, as this could lead to the artist engaging in entertainment activities in violation of the existing agreement,” it continued, adding that ADOR also wishes to prevent further damage and confusion among industry professionals as a result of NewJeans’ supposed contract termination.ADOR also wrote that NewJeans’ actions “would seriously hinder the continued development of K-pop”.