NewJeans reaffirms refusal to return to Ador in second mediation, court ruling set for October

Mediation between NewJeans and its agency Ador has collapsed, leaving the fate of the K-pop girl group to be decided by a court ruling next month.

The Seoul Central District Court held a second closed-door mediation session Thursday in Ador’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract. The talks lasted only 20 minutes before breaking down. Unlike the first session on Aug. 14, when Danielle and Minji appeared, none of the bandmates attended this time.

With two failed mediation attempts, the court will now issue its ruling on Oct. 30, finally deciding whether NewJeans must continue under Ador or whether the group has grounds to end its contract with the label.

The dispute began last November when NewJeans declared its contract void, accusing Ador of breaching obligations, and attempted to pursue activities independent of the label. Ador countered with a lawsuit asserting the continued validity of the contract and secured a court injunction preventing the members from working without its approval.

At the heart of the trial is whether the exclusive contract is still binding or if NewJeans has legitimate grounds for contract termination. Ador argues that “the contract is valid and no reason for termination exists,” stressing that parent company Hybe invested around 21 billion won ($15.1 million) in the group’s growth.

The agency added that an exclusive contract is built on trust, noting it provided opportunities and financial settlements while rejecting claims of broken trust.

NewJeans, however, contends that the ousting of former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin — the creative director behind the group’s global success — and the replacement of Ador leadership with Hybe executives fundamentally altered the agency they originally signed with. The group says it has lost confidence in the company after nearly 18 months of legal battles, making a return to Ador unworkable.