In the midst of NewJeans’ attempt to terminate their contract with their label ADOR, thus bringing it under a new name, “Jeanz”, member Hanni will find himself embroiled in visa and legal issues should the group’s termination come to fruition.
NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein notified ADOR of the termination of their contract on November 28, leaving the girls without agency.
Hanni, who holds dual citizenship in Australia and Vietnam, is officially classified as a foreigner in South Korea and must renew her visa every year.
If the girls’ contract termination holds, Hanni would technically be illegally residing in Korea as of December 14, according to a report from TenAsia.
Danielle, the other non-native Korean member of NewJeans, holds dual citizenship in Australia and South Korea and is therefore not interested.
Currently, Hanni remains in Korea on a visa sponsored by ADOR, which effectively recognizes ADOR as its agency and upholds the validity of its exclusive contract.
If NewJeans’ contract termination request had been honored, Hanni’s contract would have been terminated on November 29 and his visa issued through ADOR would no longer be valid.
The idol would then have to comply with South Korea’s Immigration Control Act by returning his foreigner registration card and leaving the country within 15 days of requesting termination of the contract, which would have occurred on December 13.
If the termination of NewJeans’ contract were valid, Hanni would currently be classified as an illegal resident in South Korea.
The Korean Immigration Control Law allows job transfer with an existing visa, but consent from the previous employer is required. ADOR’s current position is that its exclusive contract with NewJeans is still valid, therefore it remains highly unlikely that consent will be provided.
If Hanni wants to be released from her responsibilities to ADOR, she must get another agency to legally work as an entertainer in South Korea.
Laws require the idol to obtain an E-6 (Entertainment) visa, which requires sponsorship from a registered agency, an exclusive contract with a registered agency as a pop culture arts planning business under the Pop Culture Industry Promotion Act, the agency’s registration certificate, a letter of guarantee from the agency representative, as well as a letter of recommendation for employment from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In the circumstances where NewJeans is dropped by ADOR, Hanni must obtain an E-6 visa to engage in personal activities or continue her national promotions, a process that typically takes two to three months, during which she would be unable to promote in Korea.
If NewJeans’ contract termination comes to fruition, the group would be able to promote as a full-fledged group in Korea for the duration of that period.
According to insiders, Hanni’s visa through ADOR will expire early next year.
“ADOR’s exclusive contract with NewJeans remains valid. We are therefore preparing the necessary documents to renew Hanni’s visa,” an ADOR representative said.
