High-Profile Legal Heavyweights Join NewJeans’ and ADOR’s Legal Teams Amid Ongoing Battle
NewJeans is making headlines yet again as they challenge a court ruling that restricts their ability to engage in independent activities outside of their agency, ADOR. This high-stakes legal battle has drawn significant attention, especially with some of the nation’s top legal minds stepping into the fray.
Since NewJeans paused all activities following the court’s decision to dismiss their objections to an injunction, the tension has intensified. This could very well shape up to be a “battle of the century” as major law firms get involved, raising the stakes even higher.
The appeal case concerning NewJeans has recently been assigned to the Civil Division 25 of the Seoul High Court, with judges Hwang Byung Ha, Jung Jong Kwan, and Lee Kyun Yong presiding. The new developments bring fresh faces to the legal team, including Park Hyung Nam, a seasoned attorney from the prestigious law firm Wooseung. Park, a highly accomplished figure—joining directly after an illustrious career within the judicial system—will bolster NewJeans’ legal team, now comprising 14 members.
Park comes with a wealth of experience, having served as a judge at the Seoul District Court and as a senior judge at the Seoul High Court among other notable roles. His credentials include not only passing both the bar and civil service exams while at Seoul National University but also leading judicial initiatives as the director of the Judicial Policy Research Institute.
On the opposing side, ADOR is not backing down either. The agency has fortified its own legal arsenal by bringing on former Constitutional Court justice Kang Il Won and attorney Chun Ji Sung, who carries a legacy of her own as the daughter of former Justice Minister Chun Jung Bae. With these recent additions, ADOR now has a formidable team of 13 lawyers working on its behalf.
Legal experts are keenly observing how the involvement of such high-profile former judges and seasoned attorneys might influence the course of the case.
The crux of the issue lies in the five members of NewJeans claiming their exclusive contracts with ADOR were void as a result of agency violations. In response, ADOR asserted that the contracts remained valid and sought an injunction to prevent the members from pursuing any individual activities.
TRENDINGBack on March 21, the Civil Division 50 of the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR, granting the agency’s request for an injunction that bars NewJeans from engaging in activities that could undermine ADOR’s interests. The court stated, “It is difficult to conclude that ADOR significantly violated its obligations under the exclusive contract or that the mutual trust underpinning the contract has been irreparably damaged,” siding with the agency.
Despite NewJeans’ subsequent appeal against the injunction, the court reaffirmed its decision, stating, “The injunction is justified.” In light of this, all activities by NewJeans are currently suspended as they await the outcomes of their appeal.