NewJeans’ Hanni denounces labor mistreatment in the K-pop industry at the South Korean National Assembly

On September 30, Hanni, a member of the hit K-pop group NewJeans, appeared before the South Korean National Assembly to denounce workplace abuse and harassment in the K-pop industry. In his testimony, he accused his representation agency, HYBE, of negligence and mistreatment. The artist’s actions, as well as the previous statements of the other members of NewJeans, have come to generate a turning point for the industry.

The young idol, only 20 years old, recounted how she and her groupmates have suffered a series of labor abuses under the management of HYBE. This has generated a stir among his followers and prompted a parliamentary investigation.

Hanni’s testimony before the Assembly

Hanni was summoned to the Assembly to testify in a televised hearing about the treatment she has received at her agency. In her statement, the singer outlined specific incidents of harassment, including an episode in which a manager of another band at the same agency ordered its members to deliberately ignore Hanni in her presence, an experience she described as devastating. This was the point at which she realized, she said, that the agency did not care about her well-being or that of her colleagues.

With tears in her eyes, the artist shared: “I realized that it was not just a sensation, but a reality. The company hated us and was not interested in protecting us.”

These strong claims generated a wave of support from NewJeans supporters, who demanded the South Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor investigate whether the agency’s employment practices constituted harassment.

There has been a lot of talk about the fact that artists are contract employees under the Labor Standards Act in South Korea and that this calls into question the type of protection they are given in an environment as competitive as K-pop.

The position of the HYBE agency and the dismissal of Min Hee Jin

The tension between the young members of NewJeans and the parent agency of their label, HYBE, is not new. Days before, Hanni and her colleagues had publicly expressed their discontent with the new management of their label, ADOR, in a live broadcast on September 11.

The complaints were due to the fact that the agency had previously dismissed Min Hee Jin, a supposedly key figure in the success of NewJeans and whom the girls held in high esteem. The members considered their dismissal as a direct blow to the group’s security and creativity.

Since that moment, Hanni and her colleagues have expressed on several occasions their desire for Min Hee Jin to return to her position, arguing that she was one of the few people within the company who fought for the well-being of the group.

In Hanni’s words: “We felt like we lost our protector when she left. Since then the situation has only gotten worse.” In the live broadcast, the singer also mentioned that the current executives claim that they want to help them, but that, in practice, they only make excuses, leaving the group in a vulnerable position and without real support.

Minji, another member of NewJeans, expressed her frustration and added that they found out about Min Hee Jin’s dismissal through the media and not through direct communication from the company. “It was a lack of respect and an unexpected blow for all of us,” she commented in the recording, visibly upset.

Hanni’s complaint has attracted the attention of South Korea’s Environment and Labor Committee, which has launched an investigation into working conditions at HYBE and the K-pop industry in general.

In response to public pressure, the committee passed a resolution to subpoena not only Hanni as a witness, but also Kim Joo Young, the current CEO of ADOR, who has been called to explain why the agency did not act on the allegations. of its artists.

During her testimony before parliament, Kim Joo Young assured that they are reviewing the incidents reported by Hanni, but stated that they have not found conclusive evidence. The CEO’s response has been received with skepticism by both NewJeans followers and other K-pop fans, who consider that the agency is trying to minimize the artist’s complaints.