NewJeans' Hanni Speaks Out About Bullying at National Assembly Audit

Hanni Details Incidents of Ostracism and Hostile Work Environment

On October 15, NewJeans member Hanni appeared as a witness at a National Assembly audit by the Environment and Labor Committee, where she tearfully claimed that she had been bullied by HIVE and ADOR.

She detailed her experiences, stating that she felt the company disliked her group to the extent that it created a hostile working environment.

Hanni shared specific instances, including one where she was ignored by other members and a female manager after completing hair and makeup.

According to her, the manager even instructed others to "pretend they didn’t see her." She expressed confusion over why she was being treated this way, adding that such incidents happened repeatedly.

To avoid these issues being quietly brushed aside, she decided to testify at the audit.

Hanni Hopes to Prevent Future Cases of Mistreatment in the Industry

The Vietnamese-Australian idol emphasized that what she faced could happen to anyone and expressed her hope that other idols, trainees, and even senior and junior colleagues would not go through the same ordeal. Additionally, she recalled how a high-ranking company figure repeatedly ignored her greetings, describing it as disrespectful and impolite, saying, “It’s not just about our jobs; it’s about basic human decency.”

Hanni also pointed out a negative atmosphere within the company, making it difficult for victims to speak up. She mentioned seeing posts on the app Blind where ADOR employees criticized NewJeans, adding more context to her claims. Hanni also mentioned that she believed her group was being treated differently from other HYBE artists.

“We debuted in a different way, and it seems like they are trying to undermine us because we became successful,” she said.

As part of the evidence, she referred to an 8-second CCTV clip showing her being ignored and mentioned recording important meetings to avoid missing crucial information. She also accused ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young of lying, stating that she had proof.

ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young Responds: "Conflicting Claims Between Parties"

In response, ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young acknowledged the situation but described it as a case of "conflicting claims between the parties." He stated that while he trusts Hanni’s words, the company had not been able to gather evidence to support her claims. Kim said, "As Hanni mentioned, I will listen more closely to the voices of our artists and work on strengthening communication." He added that ADOR would fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to clarify the facts.

Hanni Calls for Change in Company’s Attitude

Toward the end of her statement, Hanni emphasized, “If we respect each other as humans, there won’t be any bullying or ostracism in the workplace.” She urged those responsible to come forward and address the issues, rather than avoiding accountability.

Hanni criticized the company for not taking sufficient measures to protect its artists and called for a sincere apology and resolution. “Before talking about the future, I hope this problem gets resolved quickly,” she concluded, pushing for a change in ADOR's approach.

Hanni’s testimony originated from an incident she discussed during a live YouTube broadcast on September 11th, where she recounted being instructed to be ignored by a manager from another artist's team, raising concerns about workplace bullying.

The label in question, later identified as Belift Lab, reviewed CCTV footage and conducted interviews with staff and artists, ultimately denying the accusations and stating that the claims were unsubstantiated.