On Thursday, October 30, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR in its lawsuit against NewJeans. It has been confirmed that the girl group's exclusive contract with the label remains valid. The dispute began when NewJeans unilaterally announced their departure from ADOR in late 2024 due to alleged workplace issues.According to the court's ruling, "The exclusive contracts between the plaintiff, ADOR, and the defendants, NewJeans, signed on April 21, 2022, remain valid."The court further added that the dismissal of ADOR's former CEO, Min Hee-jin, did not create a breach of the exclusive contract. However, the members of NewJeans have made it clear they will appeal the verdict. They stated that the relationship with ADOR has been "completely destroyed," which has made a return "impossible."Statements of the court and NewJeans regarding the ADOR exclusive contract dramaAccording to All Kpop, the court declared:"ADOR's dismissal of Min Hee Jin from the position of CEO does not provide legitimization for the termination of the NewJeans members' exclusive contracts. It is difficult to conclude that Min Hee Jin's dismissal caused a gap in the group's activities, or that it rendered ADOR incapable of conducting its business in the interest of NewJeans"On the other hand, NewJeans' legal representative said,"Hello, this is Shin & Kim LLC, legal representative for Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein (hereafter the “members”). For the lawsuit filed by ADOR against the members for the confirmation of the validity of their exclusive contracts, the Seoul Central District Court ruled at the court of first instance today that the exclusive contracts are valid. The members respect the court’s decision, but given that their relationship of trust with ADOR has completely collapsed, they believe it is impossible to return to ADOR and continue their activities in the entertainment industry in a normal manner."The statement continued:"Accordingly, the members will immediately appeal the first-instance ruling, and they hope the appellate court will once again comprehensively review the facts to date and the legal principles governing termination of the exclusive contracts and render a wise judgment. Lastly, we would like to express sincere gratitude to the fans who are waiting and showing support for this long period of time. Thank you."The case between the label and the girl group first made headlines in November 2024 when its five members, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, held a press conference to announce they were terminating their exclusive contract with ADOR. They also demanded the reinstatement of ADOR's then-dismissed CEO, Min Hee-jin.ADOR refuted the claims and filed a lawsuit in December 2024. The Seoul Central District Court's ruling sided with the label. It stated that it found no legal grounds to terminate the contract.After the girl group declared their independence, ADOR filed an injunction to prevent the band from pursuing any solo or independent activities. The Seoul Central District Court granted this injunction in March 2025. It blocked the group's independent projects under their new name, NJZ.Moreover, in May, the court imposed a penalty known as "indirect compulsory enforcement." It stated that each member of NewJeans would be fined 1 billion won (around $727,000) for every unauthorized activity they carried out. As a result, the group went on hiatus following their performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong earlier in the year.Also Read: "A man with culture and taste": Netizens react as Luigi Mangione's prison letter reveals he's been listening to Taylor Swift and Charli XCX"Nicki Minaj's influence is truly unstoppable": Netizens react as PinkPantheress and Ice Spice join "What's Up?"/"Beez In The Trap" trend