Korean Management Federation Welcomes Ruling in Favor of ADOR, Upholding Contract Validity with NewJeans

Following the court's decision on October 30th, ruling in favor of ADOR against the five members of girl group NewJeans in a lawsuit over exclusive contract validity, the Korea Management Federation (KMF) has announced its welcome of the outcome.

The KMF stated in an official position on the 30th regarding the first-instance ruling between NewJeans and its agency ADOR, "This is a reasonable decision that upholds the reliability of exclusive contracts and ensures fairness in the popular music industry."

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 41 (Presiding Judge Jeong Hoe-il) ruled, "We confirm that each exclusive contract signed between the plaintiff (ADOR) and the defendants (NewJeans) is valid," granting ADOR victory in the lawsuit.

The KMF, a registered organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, evaluated this verdict as a significant decision that reaffirms the stability of the exclusive contract system, which forms the foundation of the K-pop industry. The federation had consistently pointed out the gravity of the situation, which could potentially shake the very roots of the K-pop industry built on trust between artists and production companies.

The KMF emphasized the protection of contracts based on the standard exclusive contract form and actively responded to ensure the swift resolution of the dispute and the maintenance of industry order.

They highly praised the first-instance court's ruling, recognizing the validity of the contract between ADOR and the NewJeans members, as a fair decision to protect the industry's fairness and stressed that it will serve as a crucial milestone for the sustainable development of K-pop.

KMF Chairman Yoo Jae-woong stated, "We respect and welcome the court's wise judgment today," adding, "We hope this ruling will serve as an opportunity to solidify industry practices and contractual reliability based on the standard exclusive contract."

He further commented, "The KMF will continue to do its best to foster a healthy industry ecosystem and create an environment where the rights and interests of artists and producers are mutually respected."

Korean netizens have expressed relief and satisfaction, with comments like 'Glad NewJeans will keep their contract,' 'ADOR was right after all,' and 'Looking forward to more great music.' The general sentiment leans towards support for the contract's validity.