Workplace harassment case involving NewJeans' Hanni dismissed on technicality

The Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor has dismissed on a technicality the workplace harassment claims involving NewJeans member Hanni.

According to an article by Korea Herald on Wednesday, the ministry ruled that the protections under the Labor Standards Act does not apply to Hanni.

"Hanni cannot be considered a worker under the Labor Standards Act, as the nature of her management contract does not reflect a subordinate employment relationship," the ministry said.

The ministry said that the nature of Hanni's relationship with Hybe labels was deemed "profit-sharing" rather than wages, and that her taxes were filed as business income.

They also added that her lack of subordination to company regulations played a factor into the dismissal of the case, and referred to a 2019 Supreme Court case that noted an entertainer contract as a civil mandate agreement.

Hanni's workplace harassment case was filed by the NewJeans fanbase "Bunnies" following her claims of being bullied by HYBE personnel, with a demand to investigate internal bullying within the company.

She initially shared her alleged bullying incident in a YouTube livestream demanding for the reinstatement of former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin in September.

According to Hanni, she overheard the manager of another HYBE group to ignore her despite already exchanging greetings with said group. She said that she felt that the new ADOR CEO did not help her with her concerns.

Hanni attended a parliamentary session with South Korean lawmakers in October to testify in an enquiry on workplace harassment.

Despite the dismissal, Hanni's testimony raised concerns from some industry experts regarding legal gaps concerning entertainers and artists.

—Jiselle Anne Casucian/MGP, GMA Integrated News