As reported by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor has dismissed a workplace harassment claim involving Hanni, a member of the K-pop group NewJeans. The ministry ruled that K-pop idols are not considered workers under Korea’s current labor laws, citing their status as contract-based entertainers rather than conventional employees.
The issue arose after Hanni revealed during a live broadcast in October that she had faced an incident involving a manager from another group at the Hybe headquarters. According to Hanni, the manager allegedly dismissed her and instructed their group members to ignore her. Following this revelation, NewJeans fans filed a petition to the ministry, claiming the incident constituted workplace bullying at Hybe.
Members of NewJeans captured from live video
Hanni personally reported the incident to the authorities on October 15. However, the ministry’s decision aligns with prior court rulings, which have classified K-pop idols as atypical workers governed more by their contractual agreements with entertainment agencies than by standard labor protections.
This news comes on the same day that former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin announced she’d resigned immediately from her role as Board Director of ADOR.
For more details, you can read the original report by Yonhap News Agency here.
