K-pop star Hanni of NewJeans tells South Korea lawmakers of workplace bullying

South Korea’s K-pop industry has become a global juggernaut but domestically it is known for strict standards, controls on fledgling stars

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K-pop star Hanni, a member of the group NewJeans, attends a South Korean National Assembly’s Environment and Labour Committee meeting in Seoul. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:09pm, 15 Oct 2024Updated: 10:23pm, 15 Oct 2024

A member of chart-topping K-pop group NewJeans tearfully testified to South Korean lawmakers on Tuesday as part of an inquiry into workplace harassment, amid a boardroom drama over her super producer.

In recent years, South Korea’s K-pop industry has become a global juggernaut powered by the success of groups like BTS, but domestically it is known for imposing strict standards and controls on fledgling stars.

Rising K-pop idols are expected to adhere to their powerful agency’s behaviour and appearance guidelines, with many stars describing receiving extreme backlash from fans over perceived mistakes in their personal lives, for example dating.

Hanni, 20, who is Vietnamese-Australian, testified that she overheard a manager of another idol group linked to her parent agency instructing members of another girl group to spurn her.

Vietnamese-Australian singer Hanni arrives to testify at the National Assembly for hearing, in Seoul. Photo: EPA-EFE

“I saw a manager along with three members from another group and said hello... When the manager saw me, she told the members to ‘ignore her as if you didn’t see her’,” she told lawmakers.