SEOUL, Oct 10 — Hanni, a member of the K-pop girl group NewJeans, announced on Wednesday that she would be testifying at South Korea’s National Assembly audit on October 25 regarding workplace bullying, a move that highlights the growing concern over workplace conditions in the entertainment sector.
The National Assembly audit involves 17 parliamentary standing committees auditing 802 government institutions across South Korea over a span of 26 days, according to a report published in Channel News Asia.
The Vietnamese-Australian artist, 20, was previously chosen as a reference witness by the National Assembly’s Environment and Labour Committee for its investigation into workplace harassment in the entertainment sector.
On September 11, the members of NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein —conducted a guerrilla livestream where they candidly discussed their experiences and workplace conditions.
They also expressed support for their former CEO Min Hee-jin, who was removed from her position in August.
During the livestream, Hanni recounted a troubling incident in which she claimed that another group under the HYBE label was instructed to “ignore her.”
She described the scene, stating, “The fourth floor of the HYBE building is where we get our hair and makeup done, so a lot of other artistes and staff go there. One day, I was waiting alone in the hallway, and [another HYBE group] passed by.
“We greeted each other but when they came back out a bit later, I heard one of their managers say, ‘Ignore her’ right in front of me. I could hear and see everything clearly. Even now, I still don’t understand why I had to go through that.”
While Hanni did not name the specific group or manager involved, statements from parent company HYBE and its sub-label Belift Lab later revealed that the group was Illit, which Min Hee-jin had previously accused of copying NewJeans’ concepts.
Reflecting on her decision to testify, Hanni wrote on NewJeans’ messaging app: “I’m doing this for myself, my members and for Bunnies (NewJeans’ fandom)…I’ve thought about it a lot but I believe going forward is the right thing to do.”
She also expressed gratitude to fans for their unwavering support, saying, “I think supporting someone or staying by their side is not an easy thing to do, especially when we didn’t ask for it. I’m so grateful for that.”
