NewJeans member Hanni suffered defeat in his court battle with Hybe.
On November 20, the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office announced the conclusion of its investigation into harassment allegations against Hanni, concluding that the singer did not qualify as an employee under the law.
“It is difficult to consider Hanni as a worker under the Labor Standards Act so the case has been administratively closed,” a statement from the Korea Labor Office said via Billboard.
Hanni debuted in 2022 as a member of NewJeans, the first girl group to sign with HYBE subsidiary ADOR. HYBE, known for powering artists such as BTS, SEVENTEEN and Le SSERAFIM, oversees several labels including ADOR.
Hanni gave tearful testimony about the alleged harassment she endured last month, telling Congress’s Labor and Environment Committee: “We have a floor in the building for hair and makeup , and at that time, I was waiting in the hallway because the hair and makeup were done first… I greeted them all, and about 5 or 10 minutes later they came back. [the manager] made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group and said, ‘Ignore her as if you don’t see her.’ I don’t understand why she would say such things in a work environment.”
She also confirmed that this happened many times and that senior members of Hybe were also the ones who acted cold towards her.
“Since my debut [in NewJeans]We have met many times a person with a high position, but when I greeted them, they did not say hello at all,” she said.
“When I lived in Korea, I understood that I had to be polite to my elders and that it was part of the culture – but I thought it was disrespectful to not greet us, regardless of our professional status. There’s a certain feeling.” [of disrespect] that I feel about the company,” Hanni continued.
The NewJeans member further alleged that company employees said some nasty things about the group on an app called Blind. Additionally, she claimed that HYBE’s PR department attempted to downplay the group’s success by contacting journalists and asking them to minimize their achievements. The record label has denied all allegations Hanni made against them.
The singer even went as far as saying that the company “hates” them.
NewJeans was founded in 2022 and includes members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein. They have become a global phenomenon since their formation and have scored hits such as “Super Shy” and “OMG”.
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