On October 15, Hanni participated as a reference witness in the National Assembly audit of the Economic, Social and Labor Council and affiliated organizations of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. She testified about workplace bullying issues that occurred at HYBE.
Hanniās decision to attend the audit was voluntary, and she had previously informed fans of her intention to appear before the National Assembly. On October 9, Hanni announced on NewJeansā fan communication platform āPhoningā, āIāve decided to go to the National Assembly. I made this decision for myself, my members, and for Bunnies (NewJeansā fandom),ā expressing her strong determination.
Hanniās appearance at the audit was not discussed in advance with ADOR, a label under HYBE. By making this decision public without consulting her agency, Hanni demonstrated her resolve, stating, āMy manager and the company donāt know yet, but no matter how much I think about it, I believe attending (the audit) is the right thing to do.ā
NewJeans members are showing their support for Hanniās audit appearance. Member Minji changed her status message on Phoning to āotter, teddy bear, and rabbit emojis with a message of encouragement,ā using the otter emoji symbolizing Hanni, her own teddy bear symbol, and the rabbit emoji representing their fandom.
Danielle also sent an affectionate message of support on the same morning, saying, āOur awesome Pham unnie~! Youāve Got This!!! Phamting~~!!!!♥♥ā
Hanniās family is also supporting her decision. Her mother stated, āOur family sincerely supports Hanniās decision to attend the National Assembly and speak about workplace bullying.ā
In addition to Hanni, ADORās new CEO Kim Joo-young was also scheduled to appear as a witness at this audit. This will be her first public appearance since taking the position of ADORās CEO after the āHYBE-Min Hee-jin incidentā, and many are curious about what she would say.
NewJeans fans are also taking action against HYBE. āTeam Bunniesā has filed a complaint with the Seoul Yongsan Police Station against high-ranking officials of HYBE and ADOR on charges of breach of trust and violation of personal information protection laws, demanding a strong response to this situation.
After the hour-long testimony at the National Assembly audit, Hanni shared her feelings with fans. She wrote on Phoning, āIām so grateful. Bunnies, youāve worked so hard, thank you so much. I donāt want to cry, but I canāt stop the tears. Iām just so thankful, really.ā
During the audit, Hanni provided detailed explanations about the incident she had mentioned in a YouTube live broadcast on September 11, where another artistās manager had said āIgnore her.ā She stated, āIt wasnāt just that incident. From the beginning of our debut, whenever I encountered certain high-ranking individuals, they never once returned my greetings. I understood that in Korean culture, older people tend to value manners more, so not returning a greeting, regardless of professional hierarchy, I think is disrespectful as a human being.ā
Hanni also pointed out CEO Kim Joo-youngās lukewarm response to the issues she had experienced and witnessed within the company, including attempts to downplay NewJeansā achievements. In response, Kim explained that she had requested to check the CCTV footage of the incident but couldnāt obtain it as the retention period had expired. She added, āAs the internal director of ADOR at the time, I believe I took all the measures I could.ā Hanni refuted this, saying, āIām sorry, but I donāt think you did your best.ā
Hanni became tearful during her final statement. She said, āThroughout this experience, Iāve thought a lot about how, while there may not be laws that can solve all the worldās problems, if we respect each other as human beings, at least workplace bullying and ostracism might not occur.ā She continued, āI hope that other seniors, peers, juniors, or trainees donāt have to worry about these issues. Iāve seen that many people have been concerned for us, and Iām very grateful for that.ā
Hanni and CEO Kim Joo-youngās appearance at the audit came after over 100 investigation petitions were filed with the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office following the public disclosure of the āignore herā incident during a live broadcast on September 11. The Environment and Labor Committee held a general meeting on September 30 and selected Hanni as a witness. While there was much attention on whether Hanni, an Vietnamese-Australian idol, would attend, she declared her intention to appear through Phoning. Upon arriving at the National Assembly, she told reporters, āI donāt need to express my feelings (about attending) because our fans already understand my heart well.āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
Source: Daum