S Poddar
In a dramatic about face, one of South Korea’s most successful females of NewJeans, Hanni, has decided to take her stand before the country’s National Assembly over rampant bullying in the music industry. The 20-year-old singer posted on social media, “I think going forward is the right thing to do, no matter how much I keep thinking about it.”
The move by Hanni comes after she and her NewJeans members voiced public grievances about the working conditions they suffered at the hands of Ador, their recording company, in a live stream. The international pop sensations behind such hits as “SuperShy” and “OMG” accused the company of workplace harassment and demanded reinstatement of Min Hee-Jin, their previous mentor. Min was relieved of this year’s role in the company due to allegations of misconduct.
One of those which Hanni expressly pointed out was a confrontation with yet another K-Pop group at the offices of the records label. She described how their manager told the other group to “ignore her” as she went to greet them. The same, Hanni reported it to Ador’s new chief executive Kim Joo-Young who told her that “it’s too late” and has no evidence.
In the live video, Hanni confessed there wasn’t even anyone to protect us when her team did nothing about the issue. She and her team sparked a heated debate among NewJeans and the fans of the other group in the allegations and began accusing each other.
The issue finally attracted the attention of South Korea’s Environment and Labor Committee, who have summoned both Hanni and Kim Joo-Young to testify at an audit on workplace harassment to be held. Hanni’s willingness to present her case before the National Assembly proves that she is a woman who is unyielding in her zeal to bring out issues within the K-Pop fraternity related to bullying. She and her fellow bandmates now hope their actions will not only protect them but also be a door-opener for generations of K-Pop artists to come, for a better and safer working environment.
It is now the time when Hanni readies herself to stand in court, and her courage and strength inspired so many fans and artists around the world. Indeed, speaking up against bullying is a major step in the battle for justice and accountability in the music world.
