Ahn Ho-young: National Assembly Member Accused of Exploiting NewJeans’ Hanni’s Workplace Audit for Personal Benefits

Ahn Ho-young is a South Korean diplomat, currently serving as a member of the National Assembly and the Labor Committee chairman. He previously held the position of Ambassador to the United States from 2013 to 2017. However, on Tuesday, October 1, he came under fire for allegedly leveraging the workplace audit concerning NewJeans’ Hanni for his personal benefit.

The National Assembly recently announced that it will conduct an audit on October 25 regarding workplace harassment that Hanni reportedly faced under HYBE Labels. This audit aims to expose and tackle the harassment and bullying prevalent in the K-pop idol industry.

Despite the noble intentions behind the initiative, Ahn Ho-young has faced significant backlash for choosing to lead a national audit focused on workplace harassment. Many netizens have suggested that he is exploiting the issue’s popularity to gain personal attention.

Critics also highlighted that Ahn Ho-young may not fully grasp the serious implications of the audit he is undertaking. Following a wave of around 50 critical comments about his motivations for holding the audit about NewJeans, he reportedly disabled the comment section on his blog. This action has been compared to the millions of negative comments and online harassment that K-pop idols endure daily.

Consequently, many netizens have articulated that he neither understands the gravity of the issue nor is he the appropriate person to oversee a national audit on this matter. Additionally, some users recalled his previous indifference, inferring that Ahn Ho-young’s intention in conducting the upcoming audit might purely be for self-serving purposes. Just two months ago, he supposedly attended a discussion concerning the Aricell fire incident in Hwaseong.

This tragedy, involving multiple lithium battery explosions, led to the deaths of 23 individuals, triggering severe criticism of Aricell for its negligence. Ahn Ho-young was among six lawmakers who allegedly exited the discussion without contributing anything meaningful, drawing further criticism.

As a result, fans of NewJeans and various netizens have expressed skepticism regarding Ahn Ho-young’s genuine concern for Hanni or any other K-pop idols facing workplace harassment. They fear he might be attempting to capitalize on Hanni’s situation to enhance his visibility amidst the current media scrutiny and discussions surrounding this topic.

Everything You Need to Know About Ahn Ho-young, the National Assembly Member Leading the Audit on NewJeans Hanni’s Workplace Harassment

Ahn Ho-young is a South Korean diplomat born on July 5, 1956. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in political science and joined the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979. His career began with his first overseas assignment at the South Korean embassy in New Delhi, India.

Following this initial role, he continued to serve in various capacities related to trade, including positions such as Director of the South Korean Foreign Ministry’s International Trade Law Division, Director General for the Multilateral Trade Bureau, and Deputy Minister for Trade. In 2011, he was appointed as the South Korean ambassador to the European Union and Belgium.

Translation: “New Jeans Hanni, the reason why CEO Kim Joo-young is called to the National Assembly”

In the following year, he was promoted to First Vice Foreign Minister. Additionally, from 2013 to 2017, he served as South Korea’s ambassador to the United States. Presently, he is actively involved in the National Assembly, particularly within the Labor Committee.

As the workplace audit regarding NewJeans’ Hanni’s reported harassment under HYBE Labels approaches on October 25, netizens remain skeptical and critical of Ahn Ho-young’s role in the proceedings.

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