A legal dispute has emerged between Dolphin Kidnappers, also known as Dolphiners Films, and ADOR, a subsidiary of HYBE LABEL, over allegations of unauthorized sharing of NewJeans’ music video content. On March 28, 2025, Dolphiners Films publicly addressed the accusations that they posted unapproved excerpts of NewJeans’ older music videos across their social media channels and YouTube.
Founded in 2015 by CEO and director Shin Woo-seok, Dolphiners Films specializes in cinematic advertising. Despite their broad advertising portfolio, the agency has only managed music videos for NewJeans, a rising star in the K-pop industry.
Shin Woo-seok has directed several music videos, including popular tracks like “OMG,” “Ditto,” “ETA,” and “Cool With You.” However, in a turn of events during September 2024, he claimed that ADOR requested the removal of all NewJeans-related video content from their platforms, which included clips on the Ban Hee Soo channel.
Following these allegations, on September 3, 2024, ADOR countered by asserting that Shin Woo-seok had shared clips that contained edited material without authorization. They clarified that their request pertained only to specific clips that breached their contractual agreement.
As the controversy continues, Dolphin Kidnappers reaffirmed their stance in a statement on March 28, 2025, denying any wrongdoing.
Official Response from Dolphin Kidnappers Regarding Allegations
In September 2024, ADOR initiated a civil lawsuit against Dolphin Kidnappers and Shin Woo-seok, accusing them of breaching contract terms and inflicting damages through purportedly illegal activities. In retaliation, Shin Woo-seok filed a defamation lawsuit against ADOR’s CEO, Kim Joo-young, claiming violations of the Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Act.
Recent comments and speculation on social media regarding Dolphin Kidnappers have escalated, leading the agency to issue a rebuttal. According to a report by The Dong-A Ilbo, their statement clarified:
“We deeply regret that false information regarding our management is being spread online. The current speculation and fabricated claims directed at the Dolphiners Films are absolutely not true.”
The agency reiterated their commitment to legal accountability, stating:
“Dolphiners Films would like to make it clear once again that we have never uploaded New Jeans’ music video without the consent of the advertiser. Dolphiners Films is currently filing civil and criminal lawsuits to reveal the facts and correct various one-sided false claims, including this matter.”
They continued:
“The Dolphiners Films is upright in terms of the facts. We will do our best until the end to ensure that the efforts of our numerous staff members are not denied, and we will wait for the court’s decision.”
In related news, NewJeans (NJZ) is embroiled in its own legal challenges with ADOR. Recently, on March 21, 2025, ADOR secured an injunction limiting NJZ’s ability to enter into commercial agreements without their approval. Following this, NewJeans filed an objection on March 24 against the court’s decision. Furthermore, the first hearing regarding ADOR’s lawsuit on the validity of NewJeans’ exclusive contract is scheduled for April 3, 2025.