The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 31, presided over by Judge Nam In-soo, held a hearing on June 11 regarding Adore's lawsuit against Daniel, his mother, and former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin.
During the hearing, Adore's representative claimed, "Unlike other members, Daniel independently committed serious contract violations." They presented text messages exchanged between Min and others shortly after a court injunction prohibiting independent activities by NewJeans.
According to Adore, the messages indicated that Daniel planned to feature in a song for an American band and had already incurred expenses for filming a music video. Adore argued, "This shows that he had no intention of honoring the exclusive contract despite the injunction, leading us to conclude we could not continue the contract with Daniel, and we notified him of the termination last December."
Adore also asserted that Daniel's mother and Min bore responsibility. The agency's representative questioned whether the members made decisions independently during the contract termination process, stating, "Daniel's mother played a significant role in the illegal actions, which is why we are seeking damages from both Daniel and Min, as well as his mother."
Daniel's side countered Adore's claims, with his representative stating, "At the time of discussing collaboration with the American band, we believed the contract with Adore had been legally terminated. It is incorrect to claim that Daniel acted illegally on minor issues alone, making it impossible to continue together."
They further argued that Adore's damages lawsuit was hindering Daniel's entertainment activities, noting, "Adore is claiming nearly 100 billion won in penalties. What agency would take on an artist with such a massive damages claim?"
The court has scheduled an additional hearing for July 2.
NewJeans members demanded Min's return, but when their request was denied, they claimed that their contract with Adore was terminated due to violations in November 2024 and began independent activities.
In response, Adore filed a lawsuit in December of the same year to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract with NewJeans and sought an injunction to prevent the members' independent activities. The court granted the injunction in May of the previous year, and in October, the first trial ruled in favor of Adore. The NewJeans members did not appeal, solidifying the ruling.
Subsequently, the members expressed their intentions to return one by one. However, in December of the previous year, Adore announced it could no longer work with Daniel as a member of NewJeans, terminating his contract and filing a damages lawsuit that included his mother and Min as defendants.
Initially, Adore sought damages amounting to approximately 43.09 billion won but later adjusted the claim to about 33.09 billion won. Currently, among the NewJeans members, three have been confirmed to return to Adore, while Min is reportedly negotiating specific conditions for her return.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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