On August 14, 2025, the legal battle between the K-pop group, NewJeans, and its label, ADOR, met a new development. The Seoul Central District Court’s 41st Civil Settlement Division held a closed-door mediation session in the ongoing exclusive contract dispute between the two sides.Two out of five members, Minji and Danielle, attended the session in person. They arrived amid heightened security measures and a large press presence. Barricades were set up outside the courtroom, and security staff were stationed on-site ahead of the proceedings.The mediation lasted about one hour and 20 minutes. Both sides left without making public statements. The court confirmed that another mediation session has been scheduled for September 11. If that round also fails to produce an agreement, the case will proceed to a ruling. The ruling is set for October 30.This legal dispute began after ADOR filed a lawsuit seeking confirmation of the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract. The agency claims that it invested heavily in the group’s debut and activities. It also accused former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin of influencing the members to terminate their contracts.As reported by Star News Korea, ADOR's side stated,"We invested 21 billion won and fully supported New Jeans. We provided 7 billion won for the debut album alone and 2 billion won for the music video alone. HYBE also actively supported them. Thanks to this, New Jeans achieved explosive success and the court acknowledged this."ADOR has alleged deliberate attempts to monopolize entertainment activities and public opinion campaigns against the label. Their claims were supported by evidence such as KakaoTalk messages and protest email coordination. They said that NewJeans’ actions breached the contract and that their trust in the group remains intact.More about the current status & possible outcomes of NewJeans vs. ADOR's ongoing disputeNewJeans’ side has countered that their trust in ADOR collapsed after Min Hee-jin’s removal. They argued that the agency is now controlled by HYBE employees and is no longer the same company that supported their success.According to Star News Korea, the legal side of the girl group stated,"The current Ador is not the Ador that achieved success in the past, but an Ador controlled by HYBE employees. They say they provided great support and dividends, but that was when Min Hee-jin was the CEO."They have also cited issues such as plagiarism suspicions involving another HYBE group, alleged retaliatory audits, and incidents like the “ignore” controversy surrounding member Hanni.The group’s lawyers say the members want to return to the ADOR they knew before April 2024, not to the current management structure.The five-piece under ADOR (Image via X/@NewJeans_ADOR)As mediation continues, NewJeans remains unable to carry out independent group activities. In March, the court granted ADOR’s injunction request. It prevented the members from promoting without the agency. The ruling also stipulates financial penalties.The penalty was 1 billion won per member for violations, or 5 billion won total if they work as NewJeans without ADOR’s involvement. Appeals against the injunction have been dismissed.Kpop Charts @kchartsmasterLINKNewJeans’ Danielle and Minji are attending the mediation session for the lawsuit to confirm the validity of the group’s exclusive contract with ADOR.The tensions have escalated beyond the courtroom. On August 11, ADOR removed all references to NewJeans from its official website. The site, which previously included a link to the group’s page, now only features audition information under a new URL and HYBE branding.This change comes nearly a year after Min Hee-jin’s ousting in August 2024, which sparked the dispute.With the next mediation scheduled for September 11, the legal standoff remains unresolved. If no settlement is reached, the court’s October 30 ruling will decide the future of the exclusive contract.