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ADOR and Danielle Clash Over Evidence at 7th Hearing of 33 Billion Won Damages Suit; Ruling Eyed for February

At the seventh hearing of ADOR's roughly 33.09 billion won penalty and damages lawsuit against former NewJeans member Danielle, her mother and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, the two sides sparred over advertising-contract documents, and the court said it will issue a document submission order, according to Korean media reports.

By 2FC NEWSROOM · Published

NewJeans in matching white polo shirts in an ADOR promotional photo
Image: ADOR (via MTN)

ADOR and former NewJeans member Danielle faced off again in court on November 12 (KST), this time over what evidence ADOR has to hand over. Korean outlets including Dispatch, Ilgan Sports, MyDaily and MTN reported on the seventh hearing of ADOR's penalty and damages lawsuit against Danielle, her mother and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin at the Seoul Central District Court. The claim stands at about 33.09 billion won, down from the roughly 43.09 billion won originally sought, according to MyDaily and Ilgan Sports.

The hearing centered on the damages appraisal. Danielle's side argued that ADOR is still withholding materials such as its contracts with advertisers, Dispatch and MyDaily reported. ADOR countered that it owes those advertisers, some of them overseas companies, a duty of confidentiality and cannot release the documents without their consent. The court said it will issue a document submission order and suggested disclosing only the necessary parts, such as contract amounts.

The two sides also remained far apart on how to calculate losses, including whether Min Hee-jin's producing role can be replaced, and the court asked both to submit concrete grounds such as industry statistics and overseas cases, according to Ilgan Sports and MyDaily. Each side again blamed the other for delays.

Assuming the appraiser's report arrives by November 30, the court set the next hearing for December 10, with arguments to close on January 14, 2027 and a possible ruling on February 11, 2027, MyDaily and Ilgan Sports reported.

ADOR notified Danielle of the termination of her exclusive contract in December 2025 and filed the suit afterward. The dispute dates back to November 2024, when all five NewJeans members notified ADOR that they were ending their contracts; a court ruled in ADOR's favor on the contracts' validity in October 2025, and the ruling became final, Ilgan Sports reported.

Reported by other outlets

  • Dispatch, Ilgan Sports, MyDaily and MTN reported that the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 31 (presiding judge Nam In-soo) held the seventh hearing on November 12 (KST) in ADOR's penalty and damages suit against Danielle, her mother and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. MyDaily and Ilgan Sports put the claim at about 33.09 billion won, adjusted down from about 43.09 billion won.
  • According to Dispatch and MyDaily, Danielle's side said ADOR has not provided documents such as its contracts with advertisers, while ADOR cited confidentiality obligations to advertisers, including overseas companies, and said it cannot disclose them without the advertisers' consent.
  • Dispatch and MyDaily reported that the court decided to issue a document submission order for the advertising-contract materials, proposing that only necessary parts, such as contract amounts, be disclosed. Dispatch reported that ADOR also applied for a document submission order covering Danielle's income from independent activities.
  • MyDaily and Ilgan Sports reported that, on the premise that the court-appointed appraiser's damages assessment is submitted by November 30, the court set the eighth hearing for December 10 at 4 PM KST, plans to close arguments on January 14, 2027, and, barring other variables, could deliver its ruling on February 11, 2027.
  • Ilgan Sports and MyDaily reported that the two sides again traded accusations over who is responsible for delays in the case.

Unconfirmed

  • The final damages amount and the outcome of the case have not been decided.

Sources

Conflicts of interest: Ilgan Sports' Nov. 12 preview had listed the eighth hearing for December 3; post-hearing reports from MyDaily and Ilgan Sports say the court set it for December 10 at 4 PM KST.

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