K-pop star gives tearful testimony on harassment

Hanni, a member of the K-pop sensation NewJeans, recently shared her emotional testimony before South Korean lawmakers regarding her experiences with workplace harassment. At just 20 years old, Hanni, who has striking black hair, spoke candidly about the challenges she and her band have faced while working under the entertainment agency Hybe. During her testimony, she expressed her feelings of being deliberately undermined by the company, stating, 'I came to the realisation that this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us. ' Following her heartfelt account, the CEO of Ador, a subsidiary of Hybe, pledged to pay closer attention to her artists, remarking, 'I wonder if there was more I could have done. ' Hanni, who is of Vietnamese-Australian descent, was called to testify before the Labour Committee of South Korea's National Assembly. Her appearance came after NewJeans publicly voiced their concerns about their treatment, particularly after the dismissal of their mentor, Min Hee-Jin. Min, a co-founder of Ador, played a crucial role in the band's rise to fame but was removed from her position in August amid allegations that she intended to separate from Hybe, taking NewJeans with her. Min has consistently denied these claims. In September, NewJeans took the bold step of airing their grievances, posting on a secret YouTube account to demand Min's reinstatement and to highlight their experiences of workplace harassment. Hanni recounted a specific incident where she greeted members of another band at their record label's office, only to be told by a manager to 'ignore her. ' This left Hanni feeling hurt and dismissed, especially when her concerns were not taken seriously after she reported the incident. During her testimony, Hanni elaborated on the situation, saying, 'We have a floor in our building where we do hair and make-up. And at that time, I was waiting in the hallway because my hair and make-up was done first. ' While waiting, she encountered three singers from another band and their manager. Hanni continued, 'I said hello to all of them, and then they came back about five or 10 minutes later. On her way out, [the manager] made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group and said, ‘Ignore her like you didn't see her. ’ I don't understand why she would say something like that in the work environment. ' Hanni also mentioned that this was not an isolated incident, as she felt that senior members of Hybe management had also given her the cold shoulder. She stated, 'Since my debut [in NewJeans], we ran into a person in a high-up position many times, but they never greeted me when I greeted them. ' Hanni acknowledged the cultural importance of respecting elders in Korea but emphasized that it is simply disrespectful to ignore someone, regardless of their professional status. She expressed her discomfort with the overall atmosphere of disrespect she felt within the company. Hanni revealed that she had not informed her band's management or record label about her decision to testify. Additionally, she alleged that she had witnessed employees speaking negatively about NewJeans on an internal communication app called Blind. She also claimed that Hybe's public relations department had contacted a journalist, asking him to downplay NewJeans' achievements in an article about their record sales. Hybe has denied these accusations, stating that they were merely trying to correct a factual error. However, Hanni felt that this incident reinforced her belief that 'the company hated us. ' Kim Joo-young, the current CEO of Ador, also testified at the hearing. She expressed her belief in Hanni's account of being shunned by another band's manager but admitted that she was unable to find supporting evidence. Unfortunately, the CCTV footage of the incident had expired before she could request it. Kim stated, 'I believe I did everything I could, but seeing that Hanni felt this way and that the situation escalated to this point, I wonder if there was more I could have done. ' She also committed to cooperating with an investigation by South Korea's Ministry of Labour. The story has captivated South Korean media and K-pop fans alike, as NewJeans has emerged as one of the brightest new bands in the genre. With catchy pop songs like Super Shy, OMG, and Supernatural, they were the eighth biggest-selling act in the world last year and received a nomination for best group at this year's MTV Awards. Formed by Ador in 2022, the five members of NewJeans - Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein - range in age from 16 to 20. Despite the ongoing drama behind the scenes, they have continued to release music and perform, partly due to their commitment to a seven-year contract that runs until 2029. Hanni concluded her testimony by expressing her frustration over how the internal conflict has overshadowed her band's career. 'A lot of people have been worried about us,' she said, wiping away tears. 'Some fans apologised for making us go through this, but I’m grateful to Korea for allowing me to do what I love. The ones who should be apologising are avoiding responsibility, and that frustrates me.