Hanni, a member of the globally popular K-pop group NewJeans, is set to attend the National Assembly audit on workplace bullying and ostracism as a reference witness on October 15. The singer's decision to participate in the audit has attracted significant attention, as she will appear independently, without prior consultation with her agency, Ador, or the group’s management company, Hybe.
Hanni announced her decision on the fan communication platform "Phoning," expressing that her participation is motivated by a desire to represent herself, her fellow NewJeans members, and their dedicated fans. "I will attend the audit alone. I’m doing this for myself, the NewJeans members, and our fans," Hanni stated. She further explained, "Neither my manager nor the company (Ador) knows yet, but after much thought, I believe this is the right thing to do."
Ador, the K-pop agency responsible for NewJeans, declined to comment on the issue when contacted by The Korea Herald, leaving questions about how the company will respond to this development.
The roots of this situation trace back to a YouTube live broadcast on September 11, where Hanni alleged that a manager from another K-pop group under Hybe's subsidiary Belift Lab had instructed members to ignore her. Hanni claimed this led her to believe she was being ostracized within the larger Hybe organization. However, Hybe swiftly refuted these claims, clarifying that the manager in question worked for Belift Lab, the subsidiary managing rookie girl group Illit. After an internal review of CCTV footage and a thorough investigation, Belift Lab concluded that Hanni’s allegations were without merit.
NewJeans, Courtesy of Ador
Despite the company's stance, Hanni's decision to attend the audit has gained strong support from her family. Hanni’s mother shared a message of encouragement through Phoning, stating, “We stand by Hanni’s choice, understanding that attending the National Assembly audit is a heavy responsibility, and she does not take it lightly. We felt it was important to prevent such an issue from happening again and fully support her decision to speak out.”
As the controversy surrounding Hanni's allegations continues, the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee officially invited her to the Ministry of Employment and Labor audit on September 30 as a reference witness. Ador's CEO, Kim Ju-young, was also summoned to appear as a witness at the audit, but the company has not confirmed whether he will attend.
In a related development, a NewJeans fan group called "Team Bunnies" submitted a legal complaint against Ador’s CEO Kim Ju-young and Deputy CEO Lee Do-kyung to the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. The complaint accuses the executives of breach of duty and obstruction of business, alleging that they failed to take sufficient measures to protect NewJeans members from workplace interference, thereby hindering the group’s activities.
The complaint also extends to Hybe's chief public relations officer and PR director, accusing them of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
Adding to the ongoing turmoil within the agency, Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Ador, was removed from her position in August amid tensions with Hybe. NewJeans has since demanded Min's reinstatement as CEO, a request that Hybe has so far refused.
The upcoming National Assembly audit will serve as a critical moment not just for Hanni and NewJeans but also for the broader K-pop industry, highlighting issues of workplace ethics, artist management, and corporate responsibility within entertainment agencies.
Sayart / ReaA JUNG, queen7203@gmail.com
Courtesy of ELLE Korea
Hanni, a member of the globally popular K-pop group NewJeans, is set to attend the National Assembly audit on workplace bullying and ostracism as a reference witness on October 15. The singer's decision to participate in the audit has attracted significant attention, as she will appear independently, without prior consultation with her agency, Ador, or the group’s management company, Hybe.
Hanni announced her decision on the fan communication platform "Phoning," expressing that her participation is motivated by a desire to represent herself, her fellow NewJeans members, and their dedicated fans. "I will attend the audit alone. I’m doing this for myself, the NewJeans members, and our fans," Hanni stated. She further explained, "Neither my manager nor the company (Ador) knows yet, but after much thought, I believe this is the right thing to do."
Ador, the K-pop agency responsible for NewJeans, declined to comment on the issue when contacted by The Korea Herald, leaving questions about how the company will respond to this development.
The roots of this situation trace back to a YouTube live broadcast on September 11, where Hanni alleged that a manager from another K-pop group under Hybe's subsidiary Belift Lab had instructed members to ignore her. Hanni claimed this led her to believe she was being ostracized within the larger Hybe organization. However, Hybe swiftly refuted these claims, clarifying that the manager in question worked for Belift Lab, the subsidiary managing rookie girl group Illit. After an internal review of CCTV footage and a thorough investigation, Belift Lab concluded that Hanni’s allegations were without merit.
NewJeans, Courtesy of Ador
Despite the company's stance, Hanni's decision to attend the audit has gained strong support from her family. Hanni’s mother shared a message of encouragement through Phoning, stating, “We stand by Hanni’s choice, understanding that attending the National Assembly audit is a heavy responsibility, and she does not take it lightly. We felt it was important to prevent such an issue from happening again and fully support her decision to speak out.”
As the controversy surrounding Hanni's allegations continues, the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee officially invited her to the Ministry of Employment and Labor audit on September 30 as a reference witness. Ador's CEO, Kim Ju-young, was also summoned to appear as a witness at the audit, but the company has not confirmed whether he will attend.
In a related development, a NewJeans fan group called "Team Bunnies" submitted a legal complaint against Ador’s CEO Kim Ju-young and Deputy CEO Lee Do-kyung to the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. The complaint accuses the executives of breach of duty and obstruction of business, alleging that they failed to take sufficient measures to protect NewJeans members from workplace interference, thereby hindering the group’s activities.
The complaint also extends to Hybe's chief public relations officer and PR director, accusing them of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
Adding to the ongoing turmoil within the agency, Min Hee-jin, the former CEO of Ador, was removed from her position in August amid tensions with Hybe. NewJeans has since demanded Min's reinstatement as CEO, a request that Hybe has so far refused.
The upcoming National Assembly audit will serve as a critical moment not just for Hanni and NewJeans but also for the broader K-pop industry, highlighting issues of workplace ethics, artist management, and corporate responsibility within entertainment agencies.
