NewJeans member Hanni broke down in tears while discussing workplace bullying allegations during a parliamentary audit, expressing her frustrations with the situation and management at HYBE. On October 15, Hanni and Ador‘s CEO Kim Jooyoung were summoned to testify before the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee regarding issues of workplace harassment within the entertainment industry.

This session marked the first time a K-pop idol has been called to a parliamentary audit, placing significant attention on the issue of bullying and harassment in the K-pop industry.

Hanni’s Statement: “HYBE Doesn’t Like Us”

During the audit, Hanni recalled her personal experiences with workplace bullying, sharing incidents where she felt ostracized by management. She highlighted an incident where a manager from another HYBE label allegedly told others to “ignore her.” According to Hanni, this wasn’t an isolated event, and she described a pattern of disrespect from high-ranking officials at HYBE, including not acknowledging her greetings, which she found deeply hurtful.

“I didn’t understand why this had to happen to me. But this issue wasn’t a one-time occurrence. I came forward because I didn’t want anyone else to experience this,” Hanni stated tearfully.

She also mentioned seeing employees badmouthing NewJeans on an anonymous workplace app and hearing that a PR team director allegedly attempted to undermine the group’s success in Japan. Hanni expressed her belief that these actions reflect deeper issues within the company, suggesting that HYBE has a negative attitude towards the group.

Ador CEO Kim Jooyoung’s Response

Kim Jooyoung, the CEO of Ador and HYBE’s Chief Human Resources Officer, expressed regret over the situation but clarified that the claims from both sides remain unresolved due to the lack of available evidence. She acknowledged the CCTV footage of the incident had expired before the investigation could be completed, making it difficult to verify what happened.

“Unfortunately, the CCTV storage period had expired by the time I made the request. I also checked if the footage could be restored. Regrettably, the claims from both sides conflict with each other, and the situation remains unclear,” Kim explained.

Kim emphasized that HYBE promotes mutual respect within its organizational culture, with regular training sessions to foster a respectful environment. However, Hanni disagreed with Kim’s remarks, expressing her frustration with how the situation had been handled.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think CEO Kim did his best. There were definitely more things he could have done,” Hanni commented, emphasizing her disappointment in the lack of concrete action.

The Bullying Allegations: What Happened?

The controversy began in September when Hanni, along with her fellow NewJeans members, conducted an emergency YouTube live broadcast, during which she revealed her distress over a bullying incident. Hanni mentioned a manager from another HYBE label told others to “ignore her” while preparing for a university festival performance. She added that her reports to Ador’s CEO went unresolved.

Despite attempts to resolve the situation, Hanni explained that the lack of evidence and conflicting accounts made it difficult to confirm the allegations.

CEO Kim’s Defense

In his defense, CEO Kim explained that she received the first report on the incident in June and requested the CCTV footage to protect the artist. However, the 30-day retention period had already passed by the time the request was made, and the footage could not be recovered. Kim assured the committee that she made every effort to resolve the matter, though the conflicting accounts left the issue unresolved.

Kim added that the HYBE manager involved denied telling anyone to “ignore” Hanni, and since the manager worked for another label, they couldn’t force her to cooperate.

Hanni’s Emotional Conclusion

Hanni’s testimony was deeply emotional, and she expressed her frustration with the lack of accountability from management. She called for greater respect and humanity in the workplace, stating that these incidents should never be dismissed or overlooked.

“A lot of people have been worried about us. Some fans apologized for making us go through this, but I’m grateful to Korea for allowing me to do what I love,” Hanni shared tearfully, emphasizing the need for better protection for artists.

She concluded by saying, “Today’s session is about workplace bullying and harassment. Through this experience, I’ve realized that while the law may not be able to solve all the problems in the world, if we respect each other as human beings, there would be no workplace bullying or harassment.”

Allegations of Tension Between HYBE and ADOR

The tension between HYBE and Ador was also brought up during the session. Hanni hinted at a conflict between HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk and former Ador CEO Min Hee Jin, suggesting that this might have contributed to the group’s struggles within the company. “I feel like HYBE is trying to bring us down because we’re doing well,” she remarked.

CEO Kim Jooyoung responded by stating, “That matter is currently awaiting a judicial decision,” but did not provide further details.

At the National Assembly, Hanni claimed that she felt a certain type of atmosphere at HYBE and believes that only people who had been affected by it can feel it.

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