A Seoul court has ruled that ADOR's exclusive contract with girl group NewJeans is valid.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of ADOR on Thursday.

The case began in November, when NewJeans claimed the entertainment agency had breached and invalidated its exclusive contract with the girl group by dismissing its former chief, Min Hee-jin, and by the subsequent breakdown of trust.

ADOR challenged the move in December, suing to block the members from engaging in music and advertising activities without its consent.

The court, on Thursday, said that Min's dismissal had not left ADOR bereft of leadership and that no provision in the contract required her to serve as the company's head.

The court also said an audit of Min by ADOR's parent company, HYBE, and her subsequent dismissal were justified and that text messages showed Min seeking to sever her label from the conglomerate.