“Discussing Bullying While Acting This Way”— Online Reactions to NewJeans’ Hanni Allegedly Disparaging ADOR CEO Kim Ju-young at the National Assembly

On October 15, 2024, Hanni from NewJeans attended a session at South Korea’s National Assembly with ADOR’s newly appointed CEO, Kim Ju-young, to tackle issues surrounding workplace harassment. This discussion gained traction in light of the recent NewJeans bullying allegations.

Both figures testified during the parliamentary audit conducted by the Environment and Labor Committee, as the topic has developed into a significant societal issue. While many commended Hanni for her courage in addressing the matter, some moments during the assembly caused quite a stir.

At one point, Hanni incorrectly referred to Kim Ju-young as “Lee Ju-young,”which led to speculation among online users that this might have been an intentional slight towards the CEO.

Critics flocked to social media, labeling the gaffe as unprofessional and offensive, especially considering the seriousness of the event. A user on X, @funkinseoul, commented:

“lmao talk about bullying and act like this.”

Many other users shared their insights on X:

“Hanni successfully appeared before a national assembly only to discuss trivialities. She didn’t share anything of substance beyond not remembering her CEO’s name and repeatedly stating her struggles with Korean. Yet, she clearly heard ‘Ignore her,’ raising contradictions,”wrote an X user.

“She doesn’t even recall the CEO’s name; how can she address the bullying accusations effectively?”another commenter noted.

“That was genuinely disreputable. How can she challenge anyone in a national assembly while failing to pronounce a name correctly? It feels overly scripted as an attempt to ‘throw shade.’ Quite unprofessional,”pointed out another X user.

Tensions escalated further when Hanni openly contested Kim Ju-young’s statement declaring that she had done all she could as a director to rectify the issue. Hanni claimed that Kim lacked both the determination and capability to safeguard the group as she had promised.

“The ‘ignoring’ controversy originated in July/August, yet you expect to blame a CEO who just assumed her position a month ago? It was MHJ who was in charge then. Instead, you’re targeting a new CEO who needs to straighten out the damage caused,”mentioned an X user.

“Honestly, it sounds as if she deeply dislikes the new CEO, considering her tone lacks respect for someone older than her,”another user remarked.

“I can’t believe this isn’t a scripted performance,”a fan expressed.

Further Insights on Hanni’s National Assembly Appearance

The chaos initially began following Hanni’s remarks during a YouTube live session on September 11, 2024, where she recounted an uncomfortable scenario involving a manager telling her to overlook another artist’s actions.

This incident resulted in over 100 formal complaints lodged with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, highlighting the group’s working conditions. Despite CEO Kim Ju-young’s commitment to enhancing communication and being more responsive to the artists’ concerns, opinions remain polarized.

During the Assembly, Hanni conveyed her bewilderment and frustration, questioning why such conduct was acceptable in a professional realm. She stated that her motivation to appear before the assembly was to advocate against allowing such behaviors to persist unaddressed, asserting that no one, whether colleagues, superiors, juniors, or trainees, should be subjected to this kind of treatment.

In the meantime, Park Hong-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized HYBE for their management of the issue, especially noting the absence of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk during the hearing.

Fans are now keenly awaiting a resolution from both parties, hoping that the group can pursue their careers unhindered moving forward.

Source