Lately, there have been conflicting reports online about the visa extension of NewJeans’ Hanni.
The 5-member K-pop girl group recently rebranded as NJZ after parting ways with ADOR last November. They will make their first appearance under the new stage name at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March.
Netizens speculate that NewJeans performing in Hong Kong for the first time as NJZ might be due to Hanni’s expired visa, which prevents her from participating in celebrity-related activities in Korea.
Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian singer, is currently in Korea on an E-6 visa, which expired earlier this month.
On February 12, NewJeans parents put speculation to rest by releasing an official statement through their temporary Instagram. The statement reads, “We are addressing the speculative articles regarding Hanni’s domestic residence qualifications that have been circulating over the past two days, spreading false information. We would like to set the record straight.
Hanni obtained a new visa through legitimate procedures yesterday (February 11).
ADOR, Hanni’s former agency, demanded that Hanni sign an extension agreement, stating that failure to comply would result in illegal stay. This amounts to using the visa issue as leverage to pressure Hanni and her family. Furthermore, ADOR submitted documents requiring personal information and signature to relevant authorities without consent and informed them afterward. This behavior is unreasonable and unacceptable.
Some media outlets have been using unverified facts to label Hanni as an “illegal stay” and spreading false rumors and triggering the filing of unnecessary civil complaints.
Regarding the visa application process, which can only be confirmed with personal information, some articles cited “anonymous music industry sources” or “multiple music industry sources” to spread false information. However, ADOR’s initial stance was reported as “having prepared and applied for all documents necessary for visa extension, but the individual refused to sign the extension.” Today’s articles stated that ADOR claimed it was “unverifiable.”
We regret that around 70 articles have been published in just two days, causing serious human rights violations. The information that only ADOR, as a party that knows the members’ personal information, can provide has been indiscriminately spread through the media.
Using or leaking personal information without consent is unacceptable, and media outlets that report without verifying facts are also a serious problem. As the situation worsens, with members’ personal information being used to track their entry and exit records, we are considering taking legal action to protect our members.
Thank you for reading this long statement. We apologize for causing concern and inconvenience to our fans. Please take care of your health. Thank you.”
Korean law requires foreign entertainers to hold an ‘E-6’ visa to live and work in the country. To obtain this visa, they must have a valid contract with a Korean agency, which sponsors their stay.
Hanni had an ‘E-6’ visa sponsored by her former agency, ADOR. However, she and her group members terminated their exclusive contract with ADOR in November 2024.
As a result, the 20-year-old idol is currently without a domestic agency representation, which is a requirement for the ‘E-6’ visa. Therefore, reports emerged that she had been denied a visa extension.
NewJeans’ parents opened a temporary Instagram account earlier this month to share their position on the members’ dispute with ADOR and HYBE.
The group dropped a major announcement by announcing a new stage name NJZ. In response, ADOR emphasized that the exclusive contract remains valid and urged them to use the name “NewJeans” for their activities.
Mark your calendar for March 21-23 when they will take the stage at ComplexCon Hong Kong as NJZ.