331억의 법정 공방, 뉴진스 사태가 남긴 씁쓸한 마침표와 새로운 서막 > K-wave Trends

Recently, the prosecution decided not to indict all of the cases filed by former CEO Min Hee-jin against Hive executives on charges of obstruction of business and defamation. The basis for the prosecution's judgment was very clear, and it was determined that the ‘shaman management’ and attempts to ‘steal New Genes’ that Hive claimed were not the spread of false information. The fact that former CEO Min discussed overall management with shamans was proven through KakaoTalk conversation records, and the court also supported Hive's argument that former CEO Min prepared a public opinion campaign and lawsuit to promote independence. In the end, the investigative agency's final conclusion was that Hive's press release distribution, as claimed by former CEO Min, was regarded as a fact-based response that occurred during a management dispute, and that information viewing using audit authority was also a legal procedure.

On the other hand, the damages lawsuit between Adore, former CEO Min Hee-jin, and New Jeans member Daniel still remains a hot potato. This lawsuit, which initially started with an astronomical amount of 43.1 billion won, was recently adjusted by about 10 billion won to 33.1 billion won with the change of law firm. Adore's side explains that this is the result of a new team of representatives re-examining the case and reorganizing the contents of the lawsuit, but Daniel's side strongly criticizes this as a malicious delaying strategy aimed at eroding the artist's career period through legal disputes, regardless of whether he wins or loses. In particular, Daniel's core argument is that targeting only Daniel and notifying him of the termination of his exclusive contract and filing a lawsuit for large sums of money is an indirect pressure on other members, and Adore is fiercely opposing this, saying that it is only a legitimate pursuit of responsibility for breach of contract.

As the lawsuit continues, the fate of New Genes members is sharply divided. Hani, Hae-rin, and Hye-in have confirmed their return to Adore and are moving forward in the direction of continuing the group's legacy, but Minzy is reportedly still in last-minute negotiations regarding the conditions for her return. On the other hand, as Daniel has taken his own path after terminating his exclusive contract with Adore, fans' perspectives on this situation are becoming complicated. The fact that more than 12,000 fans from 36 countries submitted a petition calling for protection for Daniel and an end to the agency's abuse of rights suggests that this situation is deeply connected to the values ​​of the fandom beyond a simple dispute between companies. At Daniel's request, the court is reviewing whether to separate defenses for each defendant, and is taking a cautious stance to ensure fairness in judgment by referring to tampering cases in the sports world.

Adore is maintaining a strong stance, recently filing for provisional seizure of real estate against Daniel's mother and former CEO Min Hee-jin. This appears to be an intention to secure compensation for damages that will arise if the lawsuit is won in the future, and shows that the civil lawsuit has escalated into an actual property rights dispute rather than a simple fight for justification. The court has already ruled in Adore's favor, citing a provisional seizure of 2 billion won from Daniel's mother and 5 billion won from former CEO Min. These legal measures foreshadow that both sides will fight without compromising during the upcoming trial, and reflect the miserable reality of the field where trust between artists and their agencies has completely collapsed.