On October 15, NewJeans’ Hanni attended the comprehensive audit by the Environment and Labor Committee of the National Assembly as a witness, where she tearfully spoke about workplace bullying at HYBE.
She revealed that when she encountered other artists in HYBE’s building, their manager instructed them to “ignore” her. Despite being aware of the situation, ADOR’s new CEO, Kim Joo-young, allegedly took no action due to a lack of evidence. Hanni also mentioned that the “higher-up” (HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk) never once greeted the members before or after their debut. Furthermore, HYBE employees reportedly tried to undermine NewJeans’ success by spreading negative rumors through anonymous online platforms.
After her appearance, Hanni expressed, “I didn’t want to cry, but the tears came anyway.” Her fellow NewJeans members also showed support for her.
However, public opinion has been divided, especially after it was revealed that NewJeans had generated 110.3 billion won (~$82.7 million) in sales within 2 months of their debut, with each member receiving 5.2 billion won (~$3.9 million) in earnings. Amid this, Hanni’s outfit at the National Assembly has come under scrutiny again.
Hanni sported a demure look, pairing a white shirt with an ivory knit vest and jeans. The outfit cost about 1 million won (~$750), with a 4.3 million won (~$3,225) small bag from Gucci, for which she is a global ambassador. She completed her look with a 2.2 million won (~$1,650) star ring, and 1.5 million won (~$1,125) shoes. The total cost of her “hearing fashion” was approximately 10 million won (~$7,500), sparking yet another heated debate among netizens.
Source: Nate
