A member of chart-topping girl group NewJeans has testified for South Korean lawmakers as part of an enquiry into workplace harassment, amid a boardroom drama over her super producer.
In recent years, the country’s K-pop industry has become a global juggernaut powered by the success of groups like BTS, but domestically, it is known for imposing strict standards and controls on fledgling stars.
Rising K-pop idols are expected to adhere to their powerful agency’s behaviour and appearance guidelines, with many stars describing receiving extreme backlash from fans over perceived mistakes in their personal lives, for example dating.
Hanni (pic), 20, who is Vietnamese-Australian, has spoken publicly about being bullied in the workplace, saying she overheard a manager linked to her agency’s parent company instructing other idols to “ignore” her.
“I greeted a manager and artists from another group at the Hybe building, but the manager told them to ignore me. I still can’t understand why,” she said during a YouTube live stream last month.
The alleged event occurred amid a dispute between NewJeans’ producer and mastermind, Min Hee-jin, and Hybe, the South Korean agency that manages BTS, after Hybe filed a legal complaint against Min for breach of trust in business. Min, who headed Hybe’s subsidiary Ador which manages NewJeans, was replaced as Ador’s president in August amid the boardroom conflict.
Hanni will testify before South Korean lawmakers who sit on the parliamentary committee overseeing workplace conditions and safety. — AFP
