Key Takeaways:
- ADOR presented its case during the third hearing of its ₩33.09 billion (approximately US$24 million) damages lawsuit against Danielle, her family, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.
- The company argued that Danielle committed the most serious breaches of her exclusive contract and has made no effort to restore its relationship of trust.
- ADOR alleged that an association created by the members was formed to conduct entertainment business, which it says violated the exclusive contract.
- The company claimed the association paid for the contract termination press conference, a practice studio, and NJZ rebranding expenses, including logos and photoshoots.
- ADOR revisited Danielle’s alleged Emotional Oranges collaboration, arguing that recording and production activities had already taken place even though no music was released.
- The company also referenced an alleged dual contract involving a Chinese company.
- ADOR accused Min Hee-jin of encouraging NewJeans to terminate their contracts while she was still serving as an ADOR director.
- The company presented audio recordings and social media conversations that it says show Min Hee-jin remained involved in the members’ legal strategy after leaving ADOR.
- According to ADOR, the messages discussed litigation strategy, financial support for legal costs, and making demands the company allegedly could not accept.
- These are ADOR’s allegations presented in court. The defendants dispute the claims, and the lawsuit remains ongoing.
During the third hearing of ADOR’s damages lawsuit against Danielle, her family, and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin on July 2, the company laid out its allegations in a detailed presentation before the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 31), presided over by Judge Nam In-soo.
The damages claim was originally set at ₩43.1 billion (approximately US$31.5 million) but has since been reduced to ₩33.09 billion (approximately US$24 million).
Throughout the hearing, ADOR organized its arguments into three main sections:
- Danielle’s alleged breaches of her exclusive contract
- Min Hee-jin’s alleged breach of contractual obligations and other unlawful conduct
- Alleged wrongful acts by Danielle’s mother
The company also relied on audio recordings, social media conversations, and other documentary evidence to support its claims.
ADOR: Danielle’s Alleged Contract Breaches Are the “Most Serious”
According to the company:
“Danielle’s contract violations are the most serious, and she has made no effort whatsoever to restore the relationship of trust. Instead, she has evaded the issue and concealed the facts, further obstructing any restoration of trust.
Correcting these contract violations requires Danielle’s active and voluntary cooperation. However, Danielle responded with the attitude that past events should simply be left in the past. She has shown absolutely no intention of correcting the violations or taking any equivalent remedial measures.”
ADOR stated that it submitted audio recordings to support these allegations.
ADOR Says NewJeans Established an Association That Violated the Exclusive Contract
One of ADOR’s primary arguments centered on an association allegedly established by the NewJeans members.
According to ADOR, the association’s bylaws state that its purpose is to conduct entertainment management business and distribute profits generated through those activities.
The company argued that this directly overlaps with the scope of the members’ exclusive contracts with ADOR.
Even if no commercial activities had yet been completed, ADOR argued that creating an organization for entertainment management and using it to fund entertainment-related activities constituted a competing or substantially similar contractual arrangement that violated the exclusive agreement.
To support this claim, ADOR listed several expenses it says were paid through the association.
Press Conference Venue
ADOR alleged that the association paid the rental fee for the venue used during the press conference where the members announced the termination of their exclusive contracts.
According to the company, the press conference was led by former ADOR CEO and current OK Records CEO Min Hee-jin.
Practice Studio
ADOR also claimed that rent for a practice studio was paid using the association’s funds.
The company argued that the studio had been leased with the expectation that it would eventually be shared with a future boy group to be produced by Min Hee-jin.
NJZ Rebranding
ADOR further alleged that expenses related to the members’ NJZ rebranding—including the new logo and photoshoots conducted after announcing plans to promote under the name NJZ—were likewise funded through the association.
The company maintained that financing these entertainment-related activities through the association amounted to conducting entertainment business outside the exclusive contract.
Emotional Oranges Collaboration
ADOR also revisited Danielle’s alleged collaboration with the music duo Emotional Oranges.
According to the company:
“Documents from Emotional Oranges indicate that approximately US$175,000 had already been invested in artist production costs. Based on this, we understand that the song recording had already taken place and that the project had progressed to the point where production and artist expenses had been incurred. Even if filming was ultimately halted, the recording and entertainment activities had already been carried out.”
ADOR further argued:
“These activities were made possible because of Danielle’s status and popularity as a public entertainer. Danielle’s side claims there was no breach because no music was released and no music video was published. However, among all the NewJeans members, Danielle is the only one who independently carried out musician-related activities.”
Alleged Dual Contract With a Chinese Company
ADOR also addressed what it described as a dual-contract issue involving a Chinese company.
According to the company:
“We also addressed the matter involving the dual contract with a Chinese company. That company later even submitted a proposal to HYBE offering to sell its stake to the plaintiff.”
ADOR did not provide additional details during this portion of its presentation.
ADOR’s Allegations Against Min Hee-jin
Encouraging Contract Termination While Still Serving as an ADOR Director
ADOR argued that Min Hee-jin encouraged the members to terminate their exclusive contracts while she was still serving as an internal director at ADOR, characterizing those actions as unlawful.
The company cited audio recordings that it says captured discussions about the legal strategy.
According to ADOR:
“While persuading the members to proceed with the livestream, she said, ‘We need to create a contract termination lawsuit.’ She also wanted to appear in the broadcast herself but argued that she had to remain completely separate because of the legal issue of tampering.”
ADOR argued that these remarks demonstrated Min Hee-jin’s awareness of potential legal risks.
“This suggests that Min Hee-jin herself was aware of the legal risks associated with tampering.”
Social Media Conversations About Litigation
ADOR also presented social media conversations from October 2024, shortly before NewJeans sent ADOR a formal notice demanding that the company remedy alleged contractual breaches before declaring their contracts terminated.
According to ADOR, Min Hee-jin made statements including:
“Even in the worst-case scenario, there’s virtually no chance the parents will suffer financial losses. I’ll structure it that way.”
She also allegedly said:
“If we leave HYBE, I’ll make sure there’s enough compensation to cover legal expenses. I’ll pay the lawsuit costs.”
ADOR argued that these conversations showed Min Hee-jin encouraged the parents to proceed with litigation by assuring them that legal expenses would be covered.
According to the company:
“These conversations show that Min Hee-jin encouraged the parents not to hesitate about litigation by promising direct financial compensation that would cover legal costs if the exclusive contracts were terminated, thereby inducing them to break the contracts.”
Alleged Continued Involvement After Leaving ADOR
ADOR further argued that Min Hee-jin remained actively involved in the members’ legal strategy even after stepping down as an internal director.
As one example, the company alleged:
“Min Hee-jin personally sent materials prepared for the injunction hearing on the exclusive contract termination to the lawyers representing the NewJeans members and requested revisions line by line.”
ADOR also presented social media conversations it says took place between Min Hee-jin and the members’ parents in March 2025.
According to ADOR, Min Hee-jin suggested:
“Let’s demand things that ADOR cannot possibly agree to and record the conversation.”
She also allegedly stated:
“The point is to get them to reject demands they were never going to accept anyway. It’s not like we’re actually trying to negotiate. That way we’ll have justification for not going back.”
ADOR argued that these conversations demonstrate an effort to create additional legal grounds for terminating the exclusive contracts.
According to the company:
“Even after the court denied the injunction, encouraging the members to make demands that ADOR could not reasonably accept and to obtain recordings was an attempt to manufacture new grounds for terminating the exclusive contracts.”
What’s Next
The July 2 hearing focused primarily on ADOR’s presentation of its allegations and supporting evidence. The claims summarized above reflect ADOR’s arguments presented in court and remain disputed by the defendants as the civil damages lawsuit continues before the Seoul Central District Court.
