NEWJEANS
A man has been fined for illegally entering the former dormitory of girl group NEWJEANS, where he stole items and took photos.
On Wednesday, the Seoul Western District Court fined a 28-year-old man, identified as “Kim,” 10 million won (approximately 7,000 euros or $7,600) for unlawful trespassing and theft. Prosecutors had initially sought a 10-month prison sentence.
Kim was indicted without detention for breaking into NEWJEANS’ former residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, twice in December 2024. During his intrusions, he stole items such as a hanger and a banner and took photos of the interior, which he later posted on an online community.
At the time of the break-in, the members of NEWJEANS had already vacated the dorm following their November 2024 decision to terminate their exclusive contracts with their agency, ADOR.
“Since the residence was no longer occupied by the celebrities, the risk of directly infringing on their privacy was relatively low. The defendant admitted to the crime during the investigation, expressed remorse, and has no prior criminal record,” the court stated.
NEWJEANS marked its third debut anniversary this Tuesday, though the group remains on hiatus.
Their last official activity was the release of their Japanese debut single “SUPERNATURAL” on June 21, 2024. Their most recent Korean release was the single “HOW SWEET” on May 24, 2024.
Since then, members MINJI, HANNI, DANIELLE, HAERIN, and HYEIN have been engaged in a legal dispute with their agency ADOR. They held a press conference in November 2024 to speak publicly about the situation. Plans for a re-debut under the group name NJZ were eventually abandoned.
On June 17, the Seoul High Court dismissed the members’ appeal against a lower court’s decision that temporarily upheld ADOR as their legal management agency under their exclusive contracts, thereby maintaining the ban on pursuing independent activities.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Korean media
