NewJeans has won a damages suit against a YouTuber who sexually harassed the group through edited videos and malicious comments.
According to legal sources on August 11th (KST), the Seoul Western District Court’s Civil Division 13 ruled partially in favor of the five members of NewJeans in their damages claim against a YouTuber identified as Mr. Shin.
The court ordered Shin to pay ₩5 million (about $3,850) each to Minji, Hanni, and Danielle, and ₩7 million (about $5,385) each to Haerin and Hyein. As Shin did not appeal, the ruling was finalized on July 22nd (KST).
Shin was accused of operating two YouTube channels between April and May 2024, where he produced more than 20 sexually harassing videos by editing stage performances and original content from NewJeans, as well as posting malicious comments.
In the videos, Shin altered the lyrics of NewJeans’ song “Cookie” to “thickness” and changed the phrase “greet brightly” to a vulgar sexual term. He also left obscene comments such as “I want to make her a mother of many children.”
In June last year, ADOR, the group’s agency, filed a criminal complaint against Shin and a civil suit seeking ₩20 million (about $15,385) in damages per member, totaling ₩100 million (about $76,925).
Meanwhile, NewJeans has been in a contract dispute with ADOR for nearly a year. In November last year, the members held an emergency press conference declaring the termination of their exclusive contracts, citing a breakdown of trust.
They later announced a new group name, NJZ, and plans for independent activities.
In response, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the contracts and requested injunctions to preserve its status as the group’s management agency and prohibit them from signing advertising deals. The court granted the injunctions, limiting the members’ independent activities.
The next mediation hearing for the contract validity lawsuit is scheduled for August 14th (KST).
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