‘Lei Hanni, from NewJeans’ project raises concern among internet users

In October this year, Hannia member of NewJeans, attended the South Korean National Assembly to participate in the state audit of the Environment and Labor Committee, where issues related to bullying in the workplace were discussed.

Last week, the case of Hanniwas officially closed, because, according to South Korean justice, the artist is not considered an ordinary employee, and would not qualify for the protections against harassment provided for in the Labor Standards Law.

As reported by Billboard, a statement from the South Korean Labor Office states that “It is difficult to consider Hanni a worker under the Labor Standards Act, so the case was administratively closed. Given the content and nature of the management contract that Hanni signed, it is difficult to consider her a worker under the Labor Standards Act, which involves working in a subordinate relationship for wages.”

The statement further points out that “Company rules, regulations and systems that apply to regular employees were not applied to her (as an artist)… both the company and Hanni shared the costs necessary for entertainment activities. Both parties bear their own taxes, and it pays corporate income tax, not labor income tax, […] Hanni bears the risks associated with generating profits and potential losses from entertainment activities.”

As a result, a bill dubbed the “NewJeans/Hanni Act” was proposed by a member of the South Korean National Assembly, which seeks to protect artists and other employees with special contracts from harassment in the workplace.

On social media, the initiative received mixed reactions among fans, with some applauding the amendment and praising Hanni for changing the K-pop industry, while others have expressed concern about the proposal having the idol’s name attached.

“I think it’s a great idea to move forward with this — artists need protection too. I just think calling it ‘Hanni’s Law’ is a bit of a stretch, especially in the same week that we see real cases of sexual abuse and know how common they are, along with so many real cases of mistreatment. Meanwhile, she went crying over a supposed ‘ignore her’… something not even proven… Call it Idols Law,… something like that!”, said the user calebcatsmomon Reddit.

The user LilDepressoEspresso also says: “My personal opinion is that the bill is a good thing, as it expands protection to more people. Using the name of the Hanni is a kind of alibi on the part of the politician and I still think that what the Hanni claims is not serious enough to be considered workplace harassment and bullying. But overall, I would say it’s a positive balance.”

On X (formerly Twitter), the Bunnies have shared different opinions. Check it out: