K-pop sensation Hanni, a member of the girl group NewJeans, gave an emotional testimony on Oct. 15 during a parliamentary hearing in South Korea, appealing for better treatment of young artists in the multi-billion dollar industry.
The 20-year-old Vietnamese-Australian singer spoke about pressures K-pop idols face behind the glamorous facade of the industry.
“I hope trainees don’t suffer these incidents, and that’s why I decided to appear,” Hanni stated during the televised session, during an inquiry by the Labour Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly.
Visibly emotional and often holding back tears, Hanni, whose full name is Hanni Pham, described the toll the toxic environment has taken on her and fellow members.
“I know it’s not going to solve all the problems in the world, but if we just respect each other, at least there will be no problems with bullying and harassment in the workplace,” she said.
During her testimony, Hanni recounted an incident in which another group’s manager gave her the cold shoulder.
She recalled walking down a corridor and greeting the manager and group members. In response, the manager instructed her group to “ignore her as if you didn’t see her,” which left Hanni feeling isolated.
Hanni suggested that this incident was linked to the ongoing feud between former ADOR president Min Hee-jin and HYBE, NewJeans’ parent company.
Min was replaced as ADOR’s president in August after HYBE filed a legal complaint against her for breach of trust.
Min, renowned for her work with artists like Girls’ Generation, EXO, and SHINee, has received public support from NewJeans members, including Hanni, who have demanded her reinstatement as CEO during a live stream.
According to Hanni, the internal conflicts have contributed to a hostile work environment.
“It couldn’t have been unrelated,” she said, referring to the dispute, “But they didn’t need to bring that issue into the workplace. I felt I couldn’t just sit idly by while such behaviour continued to repeat.”
ADOR’s current CEO, Kim Ju-young, acknowledged the allegations during the parliamentary hearing but stated that no concrete evidence, such as CCTV footage, had been found to verify Hanni’s claims.
Despite the lack of proof, Kim expressed belief in Hanni’s account and promised to review the situation further.
While South Korea’s K-pop industry has catapulted numerous groups like BTS to international stardom. There have been issues with stringent working hours and training regimes that young stars must endure.
Aspiring idols also face stringent behavioural and appearance guidelines.
This constant scrutiny creates a high-stress environment for idols, with incidents of cyberbullying, mental health struggles, and even tragic outcomes such as suicide becoming common.
Meanwhile, NewJeans, one of the most successful groups on HYBE’s roster, is under contract with the company until 2029.
However, the group has hinted at its reluctance to continue under the current arrangements, indicating that it may seek to terminate its contract early. Such a move would come at a significant cost, with industry reports suggesting the band would be required to pay ₩300 billion (US$220,000) in penalties for breaking the contract.
Hanni concluded her testimony with a message of hope for her fellow artists and trainees.
“I am grateful for the attention people have shown to this issue. I hope my colleagues and K-pop trainees won’t have to experience such concerns,” she said.
