ADOR has effectively secured a decisive victory in its damages lawsuit against Dolphiners Films, with the court recognizing 1 billion KRW (approx. 700,000 USD) out of the 1.1 billion KRW (approx. 750,000 USD) it sought in compensation.
On January 13 at 2 p.m. KST, the Civil Division 62 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Hyun Seok, delivered its ruling in the damages lawsuit filed by ADOR against Dolphiners Films and director Shin Woo Seok. The court ordered Dolphiners Films to pay ADOR 1 billion KRW (approx. 700,000 USD), along with annual interest of 12 percent calculated from December 14, 2024, until the full amount is paid. However, the court dismissed ADOR’s separate claim seeking 100 million KRW (about 67,874 USD) in damages against director Shin personally.
ADOR originally filed the lawsuit in September 2024, demanding 1 billion KRW (approx. 700,000 USD) in damages from Dolphiners Films for breach of contract and tort liability. At the same time, ADOR pursued an additional 100 million KRW (about 67,874 USD) claim against Shin Woo Seok on grounds of defamation.
Dolphiners Films is a content studio led by director Shin, who collaborated closely with former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and was responsible for producing multiple music videos for NewJeans. The studio also operated the ADOR wins 1 billion KRW (approx. 700,000 USD) damages lawsuit against #DolphinersFilms over unauthorized #NewJeans MV upload Ban Heesoo channel, a name derived from the group’s fandom, Bunnies.
The dispute began in August 2024, when Dolphiners Films uploaded a director’s cut version of NewJeans’ “ETA” music video to its official YouTube channel. ADOR requested the video’s removal, stating that it had been posted without prior consultation or approval from advertisers.
In response, Shin posted critical messages on social media, claiming that all NewJeans-related videos previously produced and uploaded by Dolphiners Films could no longer be made public. He subsequently deleted all content from the Ban Heesoo channel. ADOR countered these claims, stating that it had merely requested the removal of the director’s cut due to the lack of prior consent and had never demanded the deletion or suspension of all NewJeans-related content.
As tensions escalated, Shin filed a criminal complaint in November 2024, alleging that ADOR’s public statements had defamed him. ADOR, in turn, proceeded with its civil lawsuit against both Dolphiners Films and Shin. The key issue in the case centered on whether prior agreement existed regarding the upload of the director’s cut video. Shin and former CEO Min Hee Jin argued that verbal consent had been given, while ADOR maintained that no such prior approval existed.
Meanwhile, prosecutors issued a decision of non-indictment in July last year regarding a criminal complaint filed by Dolphiners Films against ADOR.
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