Hanni, a member of the popular K-pop group NewJeans, gave a tearful testimony before South Korean lawmakers, detailing her experiences of workplace harassment. The 20-year-old artist, speaking to the Labour Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly, alleged that her entertainment agency, Hybe, had deliberately undermined her band and accused senior managers of ignoring her concerns.

“I realised that this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us,” Hanni said, recalling multiple incidents that left her feeling disregarded and disrespected. After hearing her testimony, the CEO of NewJeans’ record label, Ador—a subsidiary of Hybe—stated that she would “listen more closely” to her artists and questioned if she had done enough to address the situation.

Allegations of Harassment
Hanni, who is Vietnamese-Australian, described an incident in which a manager from another band at the label instructed the artists to “ignore her” when she greeted them at the company offices. “I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the work environment,” Hanni said, explaining that her concerns were dismissed when she reported the incident.

She provided further details about the interaction, explaining that she had been waiting in the hallway after completing her hair and makeup when three singers from another band, along with their manager, passed by. Hanni greeted them, but on their return, the manager told the group to act as though they hadn’t seen her.

Cultural Disrespect
Hanni also spoke about how senior management at Hybe repeatedly ignored her greetings, which she found especially disrespectful given the cultural importance of politeness in Korea. “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,” she shared, adding, “It’s just disrespectful as a human being to not greet us, regardless of our professional status.”

Allegations of Internal Criticism
In addition to the personal incidents, Hanni claimed that NewJeans had been criticized internally. She mentioned that she had seen employees bad-mouthing the band on Blind, an app used for internal communication. She further alleged that Hybe’s PR department had contacted a journalist, asking him to downplay NewJeans’ achievements in an article about their record sales, which reinforced her belief that “the company hated us.”

Hybe, however, denied the accusation, claiming they had merely corrected a factual error in the article.

CEO’s Response
Ador’s CEO, Kim Joo-young, who was also called to testify, acknowledged Hanni’s account of being shunned by another band’s manager but said she was unable to find supporting evidence. She explained that CCTV footage of the incident had expired before it could be reviewed. “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,” Kim told the committee. She also expressed her willingness to cooperate with an investigation by South Korea’s Ministry of Labour.

Behind-the-Scenes Drama
NewJeans, formed by Ador in 2022, is one of the biggest new acts in K-pop, known for hit songs like “Super Shy” and “OMG.” Despite their behind-the-scenes challenges, the group has continued to release and perform music. In 2023, they were the eighth biggest-selling act in the world and were nominated for Best Group at the MTV Awards.

However, the group’s internal disputes became public after their mentor, Min Hee-Jin, was dismissed from her post at Ador in August. Min, a co-founder of the label and a key figure in NewJeans’ success was removed following accusations that she planned to leave Hybe and take the group with her. Min denied the allegations, but in September, NewJeans publicly demanded her reinstatement and accused the company of workplace harassment. Their complaints included Hanni’s story of being ignored by senior management.

Contract Commitments
Despite the turmoil, NewJeans remains bound by a seven-year contract with Ador, set to expire in 2029. According to K-pop news site Koreaboo, the members would have to pay a hefty sum—about 300 billion South Korean Won (£170 million)—to terminate the contract early.

Emotional Conclusion
Hanni concluded her testimony with visible emotion, wiping away tears as she expressed her frustration over how the harassment had overshadowed the group’s career. “A lot of people have been worried about us,” she said. “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.”

Her testimony has captivated South Korean media and K-pop fans alike, as the internal struggles of one of the genre’s brightest new stars continue to unfold.