National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee Selects NewJeans’ Hanni and ADOR CEO Kim Joo Young as Witnesses in Workplace Bullying Inquiry

NewJeans member Hanni has been chosen as a key reference for workplace bullying at the upcoming state audit, scheduled for next month. 

This comes after the 19-year-old K-pop singer spoke out about her experiences with unfair treatment by a manager at HYBE. She also revealed during the live broadcast with NewJeans members that the current ADOR CEO Kim Joo Young ignored the issue.

On September 30, the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee approved a motion for a state audit, calling NewJeans’ Hanni as a reference and ADOR CEO Kim Joo-young as a witness. The audit, scheduled for October 25, will examine her experiences with bullying and CEO Kim’s response to these allegations.

As a reference witness, Hanni’s attendance is voluntary. Meanwhile, ADOR’s new CEO Kim Joo Young has been summoned as a witness and will face questioning about allegations of managerial abuse.

Thirty-five individuals, including Hanni, have been selected to participate in the upcoming state audit as witnesses and reference persons. They will be attending the audit conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Economic, Social, and Labor Committee on October 25.

That being said, being selected as a witness or reference for a state audit does not necessarily mean they have to attend. If they have a valid reason for missing the audit, they can submit it and potentially be excused.

On September 11, 2024, NewJeans held a YouTube livestream where they publicly expressed their discontent over Min Hee Jin’s removal as ADOR’s CEO and called for her reinstatement. 

During the broadcast, member Hanni shared a personal experience, revealing a painful encounter at HYBE’s office. She recounted how a manager at HYBE asked a fellow K-pop group to ‘ignore’ her.