In a surprising move, ADOR has filed an injunction to prevent the members of NewJeans from signing any independent advertising contracts, aiming to protect the agency’s status and control over the group’s commercial deals.

On January 13, ADOR revealed that it had petitioned the Seoul Central District Court for an injunction to stop NewJeans members from making their own advertising deals without the agency’s consent.

The agency says the decision was made to ensure that it remains the official management agency for NewJeans until a final ruling is made on the lawsuit they filed back on December 3, 2024.

The lawsuit, titled "Confirmation of the Validity of the Exclusive Contract", is aimed at confirming the agency’s rights to the group under their current exclusive contracts.

An ADOR spokesperson explained, "This legal action is necessary to prevent confusion and potential harm to advertisers and other third parties. NewJeans members, who have recently tried to end their exclusive contracts with us, have been attempting to negotiate and sign contracts with advertisers independently."

The representative further clarified, "By filing for this injunction, we aim to make it clear that ADOR is committed to working with NewJeans and wants to avoid situations where things might get complicated if the contract validity ruling takes years to finalize."

ADOR also emphasized its ongoing commitment to supporting the group, saying, "We have always backed NewJeans’ entertainment activities with both resources and personnel, and we plan to continue doing so as we stand by the validity of our exclusive contract."

The agency added that they’ve received many external offers for advertisements and events, and internally, they’ve already made plans for the group’s future, including a full-length album release and fan meetings.

ADOR expressed hope that they can communicate properly with the NewJeans members about these upcoming projects.

With this injunction, ADOR is making sure it keeps control over the group’s activities and advertising opportunities for now, as it awaits the court’s final decision on their exclusive contract.

Source: [1]

Seo Kang Joon is proving his star power as his new drama Undercover High School takes the top spot in buzz rankings.

On February 24, Good Data Corporation, a company that tracks online reactions to K-content, announced that MBC’s new Friday-Saturday drama Undercover High School ranked #1 in TV-OTT drama buzz for the third week of February.

Not only that, but lead actor Seo Kang Joon also topped the TV-OTT drama actor buzz rankings, showing just how much viewers are loving his performance.

The drama follows a National Intelligence Service (NIS) agent who goes undercover as a high school student to retrieve Emperor Gojong’s lost gold bars.

Seo Kang Joon plays the elite NIS agent Jung Hae Sung, who ditches his suit for a school uniform to complete his mission.

Despite tough competition from SBS’s Buried Hearts (ranked #2) and tvN’s My Dearest Nemesis (ranked #6), Undercover High School secured the top spot, largely thanks to Seo Kang Joon’s performance.

According to Good Data Corporation’s Won Soon Woo, “Based on netizens’ sentiment analysis, Seo Kang Joon was chosen as the actor who best suits his male lead role among the three new dramas. The positive response to his visuals and acting has directly boosted the drama’s popularity.”

Meanwhile, Netflix originals are also making waves, with The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call and Melo Movie ranking #3 and #4, while the highly anticipated When Life Gives You Tangerines entered the chart at #8 before its release.

Other school-themed dramas are also gaining attention, with Friendly Competition (U+ Mobile TV) and Study Group landing at #5 and #9, respectively.

MBC’s Undercover High School, starring Seo Kang Joon, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM KST.

Source: [1]