'She is the real bully!' NewJeans' Hanni smirks, rolls her eyes at new ADOR CEO; faces backlash

The South Korean National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee invited K-pop idol Hanni of NewJeans to speak on workplace bullying during a state audit on October 15. Hanni, whose real name is Phạm Ngọc Hân, alleged that the entertainment agency HYBE deliberately undermined the group and accused senior management of intentionally ignoring her.

ALSO READ | NewJeans Hanni's 'should not happen to seniors, juniors...' statement backfires; fans ask why is she supporting her colleague’s mistreatment

Following her testimony, there were many comments about her reaction. Kim Joo-Young, the current CEO of the group's record label, ADOR—a subsidiary of HYBE—who was also part of the audit, stated she would listen more closely to the artists on the label and asked, "I wonder if there was more I could have done."

K-pop fans noticed Hanni's reaction to Kim Joo-Young's statement; she smirked and rolled her eyes while turning her head. Fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared the video, with many questioning how her demeanour could represent someone being bullied. Some even suggested that she appeared to be the main bully.

But her fans have claimed that what else was Hanni expected to do when the CEO allegedly kept lying on her face at the audit? As stated, there is no proof of either party telling the truth.

Hanni also claimed that HYBE employees had been bad-mouthing NewJeans on the communications app Blind. However, there have been numerous accusations that Hanni and former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin repeatedly verbally abused and mistreated members of HYBE as well. 

While none of these claims have been confirmed, the situation has divided K-pop fans. NewJeans fans have shown their full support for the girls and their former CEO, while others have questioned why there seems to be a push to bring Min Hee Jin back as CEO, despite HYBE stating that it won't happen.

Additionally, Hanni faced backlash after being seen taking a selfie with the CEO of Hanwha Ocean, who was fined around 300 million won for deaths that occurred in his organization. Hanwha Ocean was also banned from operation for a month due to violations of 61 regulations.

HYBE vs Min Hee Jin:

After months of drama, on September 13, Min Hee Jin filed for an injunction to call an extraordinary shareholder meeting and reinstate herself as CEO. A recent court hearing resulted in mutual accusations: Min alleged that HYBE copied NewJeans to create ILLIT, while HYBE countered that Min was seeking a new investor to cut ties. 

ADOR's board removed her as CEO on August 27 and appointed Kim Ju-young as the new chief. Although ADOR offered to keep Min on the board on September 25, they declined to reinstate her as CEO, which she labelled "a disguise." The court will accept additional evidence until October 25 and plans to issue a ruling by the end of the month. Min's term on the board is set to expire on November 2, with no possibility of extension.

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