According to Ilgan Sports, the third hearing between ADOR and NewJeans was held on July 24, 2025, at Seoul Central District Court. The legal teams of both sides debated the ongoing contract dispute. The session centered around the agency’s claim that former CEO Min Hee-jin had orchestrated the girl group’s contract termination.Responding to accusations over a past incident involving an ILLIT manager allegedly telling a group to “ignore her [NewJeans member],” ADOR addressed concerns about missing footage. It clarified that the CCTV recording had been deleted automatically after the 30-day retention window.They denied tampering or deliberate removal of evidence and that the footage had no direct connection to any legal breach of contract. According to X user @njzbase, ADOR stated:"The CCTV was not deleted deliberately, it was automatically erased after 30 days."Both sides delivered 30-minute presentations. However, the atmosphere turned tense when ADOR referred to private KakaoTalk messages from Min Hee-jin. Despite an earlier court request to avoid presenting such content in open court, ADOR referenced the controversial message about “stealing” NewJeans in three years.The members' lawyers strongly objected. It prompted the judge to interrupt and state that the “stealing the group” suspicion was already public and known to the media. According to Ilgan Sports, the judge stated:"We know that too, so how can the reporters not know? How can you intervene and talk during the argument? Please refrain. We've all heard about the suspicions of embezzlement."More on the latest hearing, Min Hee-jin’s alleged role, and NewJeans’ halted careerAccording to Star News, ADOR insisted that Min Hee-jin was the driving force behind every step of the group’s decision to exit the company. They claimed that she planned the situation by guiding the members’ mothers to write protest emails to ADOR, and mimicking the tone of a member's father. ADOR also stated that she manipulated the public narrative for over seven months to pressure the agency.ADOR mentioned that their trust in NewJeans had not been broken. They also emphasized that the reasons the group cited for leaving continued to shift. They further argued that the girls were aligning with Min Hee-jin's strategy while benefiting from the agency’s earlier investments and success.In contrast, the group members had previously made clear in earlier sessions that they no longer wished to work with ADOR following Min’s departure, calling it a fundamental shift in values.During the July 24 hearing, the agency revealed more KakaoTalk messages and reiterated its claim that the members and their families followed Min Hee-jin’s directions in building their exit strategy.Back in March, the court had ruled in favor of ADOR’s earlier injunction request. It blocked NewJeans from engaging in endorsement deals or independent entertainment activities. That ruling was later upheld in the appeals process. Despite this, ADOR said they remained willing to settle. However, NewJeans’ side previously insisted that the trust had been completely broken.The group’s exit from ADOR in late 2024 brought their career to a halt. Since then, the five-piece has been inactive, with expired brand deals and no new releases. Despite the legal standoff, ADOR marked the group’s third debut anniversary on July 22 with an animated tribute video.ADOR and NewJeans are set for a mediation session on August 14 to resolve their contract dispute. If unsuccessful, the court will deliver a verdict on October 30.