ADOR has won a damages lawsuit against a malicious YouTuber, marking a legal victory for the agency representing NewJeans. The Seoul Western District Court Civil Division 13 ruled that YouTuber "S" must pay compensation for producing and sharing sexually harassing videos targeting the members.

On June 25, the court ordered S to pay 5 million KRW each to three members (Minji, Danielle, and Hanni) and 7 million KRW each to two members (Haerin and Hyein). The court stated that S had made sexual remarks in both videos and comments, which violated public morals and social order.

The ruling emphasized that S had infringed on the members' personal rights, establishing liability for damages. Since S did not appeal, the verdict was finalized on July 22.

Legal Action and Identification of the Perpetrator

In April–May last year, S uploaded multiple videos of NewJeans members to a YouTube channel, repeatedly making sexual comments. ADOR filed both a civil lawsuit and a criminal complaint in June last year. The company also obtained a U.S. court order to disclose S's information and identified the individual through Google.

ADOR reportedly invested significant effort, hiring legal representatives and submitting multiple briefs to highlight the malicious intent behind the content, which contributed to the higher compensation amount.

Ongoing Legal Disputes with NewJeans

Meanwhile, in November last year, NewJeans declared a unilateral contract termination and announced plans to operate under the new name "NJZ." ADOR sought an injunction to prevent independent activities, which the court granted. NewJeans' appeals were dismissed at both the first and appellate court levels.

The main lawsuit over the validity of NewJeans' exclusive contract with ADOR is still ongoing. The third hearing is scheduled for August 14.