With each passing day, things are getting rougher for the K-Pop girl group NewJeans. Hanni, a member of the group under ADOR, testified to the National Commission about the mistreatment of K-Pop idols under the control of HYBE, the parent company of NewJeans’ agency. The Vietnamese-Australian singer reported being mistreated on several occasions, including one incident where the manager of ILLIT instructed the members to “ignore” her after she greeted them at the company’s headquarters in Seoul. ILLIT is a five-member group from HYBE’s sub-label BeLift Lab. Min Hee Jin Accuses HYBE AND BeLift Lab of Deflecting NewJeans’ Responsibility Amid Legal Clash Over Plagiarism Allegations.
NewJeans’ Workplace Bullying Claims Dismissed by Korea’s Labour Ministry
Now, in a startling update from the case, on November 20, the Seoul Western District Office of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labour Office dismissed Hanni’s claims regarding workplace harassment. The case filed in September 2024 on behalf of the girl group was closed as K-Pop idols are not considered workers under South Korea’s Labour Standards Act.
NewJeans’ Hani’s Workplace Harassment Case Dismissed
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has concluded that NewJeans Hanni’s alleged bullying at HYBE does not constitute workplace harassment due to “it being difficult to consider her as a worker under the Labor Standards Act”. pic.twitter.com/KuytZYJOEj
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) November 20, 2024
A statement released by the office read, “Based on the nature and terms of the management contract signed by Pham Hanni, she cannot be considered an employe under the Labour Standards Act as her work does not fall under a subordinate relationship for wages.” They additionally cited several reasons why Hanni could not be considered as a worker like “The absence of fixed working hours or locations” and that “she pays business income tax rather than employee income tax.” NewJeans Sends Legal Notice to ADOR, K-Pop Group Threatens Contract Termination Over Alleged Violations – Learn More About Certification of Contents.
After the testimony, a NewJeans fan filed a complaint through the e-People office, demanding a thorough investigation into the workplace harassment allegations made by the idols.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Nov 20, 2024 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).