NewJeans singer Hanni gives tearful testimony about workplace harassment

A member of chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans has tearfully testified to South Korean lawmakers as part of an investigation into workplace harassment.

Hanni, 20, claimed entertainment agency Hybe had deliberately undermined her band and accused senior managers of deliberately ignoring her.

After several incidents, she said, “I came to the conclusion that this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us.”

After hearing his testimony, the CEO of record label NewJeans, Ador – a subsidiary of Hybe – said he would “listen more closely” to his artists, adding: “I wonder if I could have done more.”

Hanni, who is Vietnamese-Australian, testified before the South Korean National Assembly Labor Committee at a hearing on workplace harassment.

She was called to give evidence last month after NewJeans went public with allegations about her treatment following the firing of her mentor, Min Hee-Jin.

Min, who co-founded Ador in 2021, has been a key figure in the band’s success but was removed from the role in August following allegations that she planned to split from Hybe, taking NewJeans with her.

Min has repeatedly denied this. Then, in September, NewJeans took the unusual step of making its dissatisfaction with the situation public.

Posting on a throwaway YouTube account, they demanded Min’s reinstatement and made allegations of workplace harassment.

In one incident, Hanni said that when she greeted members of another band at the record company’s offices, a manager instructed them to “ignore her”.

The singer said that when she reported the incident, her concerns were ignored.

During his testimony, Hanni gave more details about the exchange.

“We have a floor in our building where we do hair and makeup. And at that time I was waiting in the hallway because my hair and makeup were done first.”

While she waited, three singers from another band and their manager walked by. Hanni continued.

“I said hello to all of them and they came back about five or 10 minutes later.

“As I left, (the manager) made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group and said, ‘Ignore her as if you didn’t see her.’

“I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the workplace,” he added.

Speaking at the National Assembly in Seoul, Hanni said this was not an isolated incident and claimed that senior members of Hybe’s management had also rejected her.

“Since my debut (at NewJeans), we have often met a person in a high position, but they never greeted me when I greeted them,” she said.

“I understand from living in Korea that I have to be polite to my elders and that’s part of the culture – but I think it’s disrespectful as a human being to not greet us, regardless of our professional status.”

She continued: “There was a certain vibe (of disrespect) that I felt within the company.”

Hanni further claimed that he saw employees badmouthing NewJeans on Blind – an internal communications app similar to Teams or Slack.

She also said that Hybe’s public relations department contacted a journalist, asking him to downplay NewJeans’ achievements in an article about record sales.

Hybe has previously denied these allegations, saying they were trying to correct a factual error.

However, Hanni said the incident reinforced his feeling “that the company hated us.”

Kim Joo-young, current CEO of Ador, was also called to testify at the hearing.

He said he believed Hanni’s story of being rejected by another band’s manager, but was “unable to find supporting evidence”.

CCTV footage of the incident expired before he had the opportunity to request it, he told the committee.

“I believe I did everything I could, but seeing that Hanni felt this way and that the situation has come to this, I wonder if I could have done more,” he added.

Kim also said he would cooperate with an investigation of the incident by South Korea’s Ministry of Labor.

The story captivated South Korean media and K-Pop fans – where NewJeans emerged as one of the genre’s brightest new bands.

With pop songs like Super Shy, OMG and Supernatural, they were the eighth best-selling band in the world last year and were nominated for best group at this year’s MTV Awards.

Formed by Ador in 2022, its five members – Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein – are aged between 16 and 20.

Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, they continued to release and perform music.

This is in part because they are committed to a seven-year contract, which ends in 2029.

K-pop news site Koreaboo estimated that members would have to pay around 300 billion South Korean won (around £170 million) to terminate the contract early.

Hanni concluded Tuesday’s session by expressing his frustration with the way the infighting has overshadowed his band’s career.

“A lot of people are worried about us,” she said, wiping away tears.

“Some fans apologized for putting us through this, but I am grateful to Korea for allowing me to do what I love.

“Those who should be apologizing are avoiding responsibility, and that frustrates me.”