SEOUL, May 31 -- K-pop girl group NewJeans has hit a legal snag in their battle with agency Ador, with a Seoul court ruling that the members can't pursue solo or third-party activities outside the agency until their contract dispute is resolved.

According to Hankook Ilbo, the Seoul Central District Court yesterday sided partially with Ador, granting an injunction that halts all individual entertainment gigs by the members - unless cleared by the agency.

If any of the five violate the order, they'll each be slapped with a hefty one billion won (around RM3.1 million) penalty per breach.

This decision comes months after NewJeans notified Ador last November of their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts, citing internal conflicts....