Hanni’s Testimony, Allegations Against Hybe, Workplace Harassment in K-Pop
A member of the chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans, Hanni, delivered a tearful testimony to South Korean lawmakers as part of an inquiry into workplace harassment. The 20-year-old artist alleged that the entertainment agency Hybe deliberately undermined her band. She accused senior managers of ignoring her and showing disdain for the group.
Hanni testified before the Labour Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly. She explained her experience of workplace harassment. She recounted multiple incidents that led her to believe the company disliked NewJeans. “I was honestly convinced that the company hated us,” she said.
Allegations Against Hybe and Ador
Following Hanni’s testimony, Kim Joo-young, the CEO of Ador, NewJeans’ record label and a subsidiary of Hybe, responded that she would “listen more closely” to her artists. “I wonder if there was more I could have done,” Kim added, expressing regret for the situation.
Hanni testified that she felt ignored by senior management. She recounted a specific incident where a manager from another band told members to “ignore her” when they crossed paths at the company. Despite reporting the incident, Hanni said her concerns were brushed off.
Workplace Harassment in K-Pop: Hanni’s Experience
The singer, who is Vietnamese-Australian, elaborated on the incident at the National Assembly in Seoul. She described waiting in a hallway after getting her hair and make-up done. Members of another band and their manager passed by. After Hanni greeted them, the manager made eye contact and instructed the group to act as if they had not seen her. “I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the work environment,” Hanni added.
Hanni claimed that such behavior was not an isolated incident. She noted that she experienced similar cold treatment from high-ranking individuals within Hybe. “I understood from living in Korea that I have to be polite to older people, and that’s part of the culture,” she said. “But I think it’s just disrespectful as a human being to not greet us, regardless of our professional status.”
More Allegations of Mistreatment
Hanni also alleged that she saw employees bad-mouthing NewJeans on Blind, an internal communication app similar to Slack. She claimed that Hybe’s PR department asked a journalist to downplay NewJeans’ achievements in an article about their record sales. Hybe denied those accusations, asserting they were attempting to correct a factual error. However, Hanni said the incident further reinforced her belief that the company held animosity towards the group.
Kim Joo-young acknowledged Hanni’s story of being shunned by another band’s manager. However, she stated that she could not find supporting evidence. CCTV footage that could have verified the incident expired before Kim could request it. “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 told the committee. Kim also said she would cooperate with an investigation by South Korea’s Ministry of Labour.
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