NewJeans‘ Hanni has been selected to testify in a workplace harassment inquiry of the K-pop industry by South Korea’s National Assembly.
- READ MORE: Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun gets experimental on ‘GGUM’, but his new single doesn’t pop
According to a new report by The Korea Times, NewJeans singer Hanni has been selected by the Environment and Labor Committee as a reference witness for an upcoming national audit that will address workplace harassment issues in the entertainment industry.
The K-pop star is one of 35 witnesses and reference witnesses who have been chosen for the upcoming audit. Another notable name among the pool of witnesses is Kim Joo-young, the new CEO of K-pop agency ADOR, which is home to NewJeans.
According to The Korea Times, Hanni’s is “not obligated” to testify at the upcoming audit. “Unlike official witnesses, who may face penalties or orders to appear if their absence is deemed unjustified, reference witnesses face no such consequences,” the publication states.
Hanni’s selection as a reference witness comes shortly after the K-pop singer previously claimed that she had been mistreated by some at HYBE amid. She had recalled one such alleged incident during a surprise YouTube livestream held by NewJeans amid the feud between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE.
The Korea Times also reports that, following the allegations levied by NewJeans’ Hanni, fans of the girl group had lodged complaints with the Ministry of Employment and Labor as well as a civil rights organisation.
In other related news, ADOR recently rejected a request by NewJeans to reappoint Min Hee-jin as the CEO of the K-pop agency. At the same time, it also announced plans to retain the music executive as a board member.
Meanwhile, Min has claimed that she may have to sell her home in order to cover about KRW15billion (about US$1.7million) in expenses in her legal dispute with HYBE, saying that she is ” not as rich as you think”.