Court Fines NewJeans 1 Billion Won Per Member for Independent Work Without Agency Consent

The Seoul Central District Court has ruled that the girl group NewJeans must pay 1 billion won per member each time they engage in independent entertainment activities without their agency’s consent.

This means if all five members act independently together, they could owe 5 billion won to their agency, ADOR.

The court accepted ADOR’s request for indirect enforcement, a penalty for failing to follow a court order. This move comes amid NewJeans’ ongoing dispute with ADOR over their contract status. Independent activities refer to the members performing or working outside ADOR’s approval.

The ruling follows NewJeans’ appearance at ComplexCon Hong Kong under the new group name NJZ, and the release of a new song titled “Pit Stop”, actions the court said violated the injunction.

The court highlighted that NewJeans had openly declared their intention to end their contract with ADOR and pursue independent activities since late last year. The penalty of 1 billion won per person reflects the potential damages ADOR faces from these violations.

This decision is expected to restrict NewJeans’ independent activities, intensifying the legal battle between the group and their agency.