On October 15, NewJeans’ Hanni testified at the National Assembly about bullying at HYBE, highlighting the treatment NewJeans has experienced and strongly criticizing ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young. Many found Kim Joo-young’s explanation for the deleted CCTV footage unsatisfactory, raising suspicions of legal assistance.
Although idols occasionally visit the National Assembly for promotional events, it is rare for a 20-year-old to face workplace bullying. Tensions between Min Hee-jin, a board member seeking contract renegotiations, and HYBE president Bang Si-hyuk are rising, with both sides appearing to try to undermine each other.
After Hanni’s appearance, concerns grew among the NewJeans and their fandom, Bunnies, about potential discrimination and the possibility of reduced activity or even dissolution. HYBE has denied these claims, but since NewJeans represent only 5% of total sales, activating a backup plan remains a concern.
There is various speculation regarding Hanni appearing as a witness, instead of the more assertive Minji. Hanni was chosen as a witness due to her personal experience with bullying and her Vietnamese-Australian background, which some believe may strategically highlight issues of discrimination against HYBE. He stated, “HYBE definitely hates us” noting how the members were constantly ignored by Bang Si-hyuk despite attempts to greet him.
HYBE responded by claiming that Bang Si-hyuk has a “facial recognition disability.” One music industry insider noted: “Now that Hanni is here, wouldn’t it have been better if he had mentioned Bang Si-hyuk directly instead of apologizing to the team manager? After all, the main target of NewJeans complaints is Bang Si-hyuk, right?”
During the defense, when asked about respect for workers’ human rights, Kim Joo-young stated: “Artists are not considered workers” raising questions about the treatment of idols who earn significant incomes. Although they have subordinate contracts, successful idols often achieve a status equal to or greater than that of their agencies. One cutting comment underlined the irony of struggling with student loans while earning 5.2 billion won (about $4 million) a year.
Some speculate that Hanni’s comments were intended to embarrass HYBE and weaken her negotiating power against Min Hee-jin, especially if she seeks substantial investment to bring NewJeans with her. The fine for breaking the contract is estimated to be about 300 billion won (about $230.77 million), calculated based on average monthly sales over the past two years. HYBE’s financial report shows that ADOR posted revenue of 110.3 billion won (about $84.85 million) last year, with each member reportedly earning 5.2 billion won shortly after debuting.
Source: Daum
