Daniel, who was removed from the group NewJeans, has criticized ADOR, stating that “strong sanctions must be implemented” regarding the agency’s behavior.
On the afternoon of May 14, the first hearing for the damages lawsuit filed by ADOR against Daniel and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin took place at the Seoul Central District Court. The parties involved did not attend, and their legal representatives appeared on their behalf to present their arguments.
During the hearing, Daniel’s lawyer sharply pointed out that the trial had been delayed because all of ADOR’s lawyers had resigned. The lawyer argued that ADOR is attempting to prolong the case to prevent Daniel from promoting during the prime of her career as an idol singer.
Daniel’s side raised their voice, stating, “Hiring a new legal team right before the pleading date is incomprehensible behavior. This is a blatant attempt to delay the trial, and there must be strong sanctions for this.”
On the other hand, ADOR claimed that these are merely “psychological and vague concerns” and argued that “it is difficult to see this as actually affecting her entertainment activities.”
According to reports from Newsen on the 12th, ADOR recently partnered with four lawyers from the law firm Lee Han for the legal dispute with Daniel. This appointment comes about three weeks after five lawyers from Kim & Chang, who had previously represented ADOR, submitted their resignations on April 24.
Lee Han is the law firm that represents HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. Bang Si-hyuk, along with former HYBE executives, was reported last July for alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act and has been summoned for investigation several times by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crime Investigation Unit. He is accused of deceiving existing investors in 2019, before HYBE’s listing in 2020, by claiming there were no IPO plans, and then selling HYBE shares to a special purpose vehicle (SPC) established by a private equity fund (PEF) created by former HYBE executives, allegedly pocketing over 120 billion KRW (or over 190 billion KRW when combined with co-conspirators). Bang Si-hyuk denies these allegations.
Meanwhile, Daniel and the other NewJeans members held an emergency press conference on November 29, 2024, claiming that trust in ADOR had completely collapsed and that they could no longer promote as part of ADOR.
In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts with the members, and the court of first instance ruled in favor of ADOR.
While Haerin, Hyein, and Hanni declared their return to ADOR late last year, Daniel has expressed her intention not to return to the agency.
On December 29 last year, ADOR announced the termination of Daniel’s exclusive contract and filed a lawsuit for penalties and damages amounting to 43.1 billion KRW. ADOR maintains that the termination notice was inevitable because Daniel committed acts that violated the exclusive contract.
In January, Daniel posted on her official channel, “It may not be easy to let go of the time we’ve spent, but I want to set the past aside for a moment and focus on the things that are truly precious: our hearts, our dreams, and the warm days we will face in the future.”
She added, “Minji, Hanni, Haerin, and Hyein are my second family. Although the timing of our actions differed, nothing can separate us. That precious bond is a special connection, the only one of its kind in the world, and should never be taken for granted. There will be difficulties ahead, but we will move forward while protecting each other. That is the most important thing to me.”
