The workplace harassment complaint involving NewJeans member Hanni and HYBE has been officially concluded.
On November 20, the Seoul Western District Labor Office stated that a complaint filed by NewJeans fans alleging Hanni was a victim of workplace harassment could not be pursued under the Labor Standards Act. They explained, "It is difficult to view Hanni as a worker under the Labor Standards Act."
The labor office clarified that the management contract between Hanni and her agency was not based on an employer-employee relationship where services are provided in exchange for wages. Instead, it was determined to be a relationship between equal contractual parties fulfilling mutual obligations.
Additional factors were cited to support this decision, including:
- Hanni is not subject to company employment rules or internal systems that apply to regular employees.
- She does not have fixed working hours or a set workplace and cannot be required to adhere to a standard schedule.
- Both the company and Hanni jointly cover costs related to her entertainment activities.
These findings align with a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that entertainment contracts are considered delegated agreements under civil law, not employment contracts. As a result, entertainers are not classified as employees under the Labor Standards Act and are not covered by the workplace harassment provisions.
The complaint was sparked by an incident Hanni revealed during a live broadcast in September. In the broadcast, she shared her frustration over interactions at HYBE’s building.
Hanni stated, "On the 4th floor of HYBE’s building, there’s a space for hair and makeup. It’s a busy area with many artists and employees coming and going. I was waiting alone in the hallway when another artist and their manager walked by. I greeted them, but I overheard them saying, ‘Ignore her.’ I saw and heard everything. I couldn’t understand why I had to go through that—it was so shocking."
She added, "I brought it up to the new CEO, but since there was no evidence and it was too late, they tried to move on. It felt like there was no one left to protect us. I realized there was no consideration for us. Even though I spoke up honestly, I felt like I was suddenly being seen as a liar. Min Hee Jin fought a lot for us."
While the incident stirred concern among fans, the labor office’s findings concluded that Hanni’s situation falls outside the scope of labor laws, given her status as an artist rather than an employee.
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