HYBE under the radar for incident of workplace bullying; NewJeans makes startling revelations
It is anticipated that the South Korean Labor Standards Act would be examined by the authorities for possible infractions, especially with regard to the ban on workplace harassment.
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A report of workplace bullying was submitted to the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Seoul Western District Labor Office, and HYBE is presently captured in a loop of accusations. The inquiry will determine whether the company’s conduct violated Articles 76-2 and 76-3, which deal with workplace harassment and the procedures that must be followed in such cases.
In a September 11, 2024, YouTube livestream, NewJeans addressed Min Hee Jin’s dismissal from her CEO role at ADOR and called for her return. Hanni, one of the girls in the group, described during the show how she was waiting in the HYBE office corridor when another group and their manager went by.
The manager apparently told the group to ignore her as they walked back, even though they had first greeted each other. The artist clarified any potential workplace bullying within the organization by expressing her astonishment and disbelief about the incident.
In response to these accusations, HYBE said that they had examined seven to eight minutes of CCTV footage from the incident and could not find any proof that the manager had behaved inappropriately
Fellow NewJeans member Minji has also found resonance with Hanni’s remarks, expressing shock and concern at the circumstances. She brought attention to her concerns regarding the members’ lack of protection and possible exclusion.
The inquiry is being conducted at the same time that HYBE’s subsidiary ADOR has internal leadership changes, with Kim Joo Young being recently named as the new CEO.
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