A member of the popular K-pop group NewJeans, Hanni, emotionally addressed South Korean lawmakers regarding allegations of workplace harassment against their label, Hybe. In her testimony, the 20-year-old cited incidents of deliberate disregard from senior management, stating, “I came to the realization that this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us.”
The CEO of Ador, the record label for NewJeans and a subsidiary of Hybe, responded to Hanni’s statements by vowing to be more attentive to her artists’ concerns, reflecting on her responsibility to support them better.
### Allegations of Dismissive Treatment
Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian artist, spoke before the Labour Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly about her experiences following the dismissal of their mentor, Min Hee-Jin, who was a pivotal figure in the group’s rise to fame. Min was removed from her position after she allegedly had plans to leave Hybe, taking NewJeans with her—a claim she has repeatedly denied. The group made headlines when they publicly protested for her reinstatement, alleging workplace harassment through a video on a hidden YouTube account.
One significant incident Hanni recounted involved a manager instructing another band to “ignore her” when she greeted them. When she brought this issue to management, she felt her concerns were dismissed.
### Testimony Highlights
During her testimony, Hanni detailed an encounter where she was deliberately ignored by a manager, highlighting a pattern of disrespect from high-ranking members within Hybe. She expressed that while respectful behavior towards elders is valued in Korean culture, basic human courtesy should prevail in professional environments.
“It was a certain vibe of disrespect that I felt within the company,” she remarked, emphasizing the emotional toll these encounters took on her and her bandmates.
### Supporting Claims and Aftermath
Hanni also claimed that she had witnessed disparaging remarks about NewJeans within the company, alongside allegations of attempts by Hybe’s PR team to diminish the group’s accomplishments in the media. Despite denials from Hybe, Hanni maintained that these experiences solidified her belief of outright antagonism from the company.
Kim Joo-young, the CEO of Ador, corroborated Hanni’s claims about the problematic behavior of the other band’s manager but indicated a lack of evidence to substantiate the incident due to expired CCTV footage.
The ongoing situation has captivated the South Korean media and NewJeans’ fanbase. The group has released a series of hit songs and maintained their position as one of K-pop’s rising stars despite the turmoil, with a commitment to a seven-year contract set to expire in 2029, complicating their ability to address these issues externally.
In her closing remarks, Hanni expressed bitterness over how the internal conflict has overshadowed their music career, stating, “The ones who should be apologizing are avoiding responsibility, and that frustrates me.”
