Daniel's $43M Lawsuit: Entire Legal Team Quits

In the 43 billion won lawsuit for damages filed by entertainment agency ADOR against former NewJeans member Danielle and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, all five legal representatives for ADOR have resigned. The five lawyers from Kim & Chang Law Offices submitted their resignation letters to the court on the 24th, immediately after the conclusion of the first hearing preparation for the case.

At the first hearing preparation held at the Seoul Central District Court on the 26th of last month, ADOR requested a postponement of the trial, stating their desire to proceed with this case after the conclusion of the separate lawsuit between HYBE and former CEO Min regarding the put option. However, Danielle's side pointed out the intention to prolong the lawsuit and demanded a swift trial. The court did not accept ADOR's request for postponement and scheduled two additional trial dates, May 14th and July 2nd.

ADOR notified Danielle of the termination of her exclusive contract in December of last year and filed a lawsuit for approximately 43 billion won in penalty and damages against Danielle and former CEO Min, holding them responsible for Danielle's departure from NewJeans and delayed return.

Regarding the full resignation of the legal team, lawyer Lee Hyun-gon, a former judge, claimed, "The conclusion has already been reached, and this resignation is likely a tactic to delay the trial as much as possible." Danielle's side also pointed out ADOR's intention to complicate the case and drag out the lawsuit, emphasizing that prolonged litigation can cause irreparable damage, especially given the nature of idol activities.

ADOR explained that they have no intention of delaying the lawsuit and lacked sufficient time to review the defendant's statement of defense and organize their evidence plan. They also stated that the issues are complex and numerous violations exist, requiring further clarification. Danielle's side countered that ADOR should have had an evidence plan ready at the time of filing the lawsuit, making the delay difficult to understand.