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NewJeans member Hanni is facing a critical issue that may impact her future activities with the group. With her domestic residency permit set to expire at the end of this month, the 20-year-old K-pop star has yet to secure a visa extension.
According to sources, her Korean residence visa is set to expire at the end of this month. As a dual citizen of Australia and Vietnam, she currently holds an E-6 visa, which will soon need to be renewed.
Time is running out for Hanni, as her E-6 visa is set to expire in just 2-3 weeks. While ADOR claims they are ready to help extend her visa, she is reportedly unwilling to communicate with her former agency.
This leaves her in a tricky spot, facing the awkward task of reaching out to ADOR for visa help while also being the first member to sign with a new agency.
Under Korean law, foreign entertainers and trainees must hold an ‘E-6’ visa to reside in the country. Similarly, Hanni has been working in Korea on an ‘E-6’ visa, which was secured through her agency ADOR’s sponsorship.
A regulatory requirement for the ‘E-6’ visa is that foreign entertainers must have a valid contract with a domestic agency. Hanni along with NewJeans members terminated their exclusive contract with ADOR in late November 2024. Currently, the K-pop idol is not represented by any domestic agency. If reports are accurate, this means Hanin has been staying in Korea without proper authorization since late November.
A citizen has filed a complaint with the Seoul Immigration Office’s Investigation Division to investigate Hanni’s suspected illegal stay in Korea. In response, the division said they’re putting the complaint on hold until her employment situation with ADOR is sorted out.
NewJeans has declared their independence after accusing ADOR of breaching their contract. According to the group, their exclusive contract ended on November 29. After parting ways with the label, NewJeans continues to work with former CEO Min Hee Jin.
The group completed all the scheduled activities earlier this month and has launched a separate Instagram account.
ADOR has retaliated with two lawsuits after New Jeans announced their contract termination. One lawsuit seeks to confirm the legitimacy of the group’s exclusive contracts with ADOR, while the other aims to prevent the members from pursuing solo endorsement deals.
Understandably, NewJeans’ fans are worried about Hanni’s impending visa extension as well as the future of the group.
