The 20-year-old Hanni claimed that senior bosses had purposefully ignored her and that entertainment company Hybe had intentionally damaged her band.
After a number of events, she stated: “I realized that this wasn’t just a feeling. To be honest, I thought the firm detested us.
Following her testimony, Ador, a Hybe subsidiary and the CEO of NewJeans’ record label, stated that she would “listen more closely” to her musicians and added, “I wonder if there was more I could have done.”
“Disregard her.”
Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian, was giving testimony during a hearing regarding workplace issues before the National Assembly’s Labour Committee in South Korea.
After NewJeans made public accusations regarding their treatment after their mentor Min Hee-Jin was fired, she was asked to testify last month.
A major contributor to the band’s success, Min co-founded Ador in 2021. However, she was fired from her position in August after it was alleged that she intended to leave Hybe, bringing NewJeans with her.
Min refuted those on several occasions. NewJeans then made the unprecedented decision to publicly express their displeasure with the state of affairs in September.
