“Talk about bullying and act like this”— Internet reacts to NewJeans’ Hanni allegedly shading ADOR’s new CEO Kim Joo-young at the National Assembly

On October 15, 2024, NewJeans’ Hanni appeared at South Korea's National Assembly alongside ADOR's newly appointed CEO, Kim Joo-young, to address concerns about workplace harassment. The matter gained attention following the NewJeans bullying controversy.

Both individuals were called as witnesses during the Environment and Labor Committee’s parliamentary audit, as the issue had evolved into a broader social discussion. While many praised Hanni for her bravery in speaking out, some moments during the assembly raised eyebrows.

At one point, the artist mistakenly referred to Kim Joo-young as "Lee Joo-young," sparking speculation among netizens that it may have been a deliberate attempt to shade the CEO.

Critics took to social media, calling the mistake unprofessional and disrespectful, especially given the gravity of the occasion. A user on X, @funkinseoul wrote:

"lmao talk about bullying and act like this."

Several other netizens expressed their take on X:

"Hanni successful went to a national assembly to talk about nothing substantial other than greetings.she said nothing else other than not knowing her CEO name and keep emphasizing she's not fluent in Korean.Shes not fluent but heard "Ignore her " clearly ,the contradiction," an X user wrote.

"She can't even remember the CEO's name, let alone the real story about the bullying incident," another user remarked.

"That's really disrespectful not gonna lie. Also, how come you come to speak against someone in a national assembly and can't even take a name properly. Looks scripted just to "throw a shade". Unprofessionalism," an X user commented.

Tensions escalated further during the exchange between Hanni and Kim Joo-young. When the CEO stated that she had done everything within her power as an in-house director to address the situation, the idol bluntly disagreed. She asserted that Kim had neither the will nor the ability to truly protect the group as promised.

"the "ignoring" matter happened in july/august but you want to put the fault on a ceo who just took the sit not even a month ago. This was mhj's on the sit at the time. But you decided to bully a ceo that just came and need to take care of the company that y'all are destroying," an X user mentioned.

"Idk bruh she sounds like she hate new ceo to the core, the way she speak shows no respect when the ceo is older than her," another user commented.

"Can’t believe this isn’t a skit," a fan remarked.

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More about Hanni's appearance at the National Assembly

The controversy initially erupted after Hanni’s comments during a YouTube live broadcast on September 11, 2024, where she shared an uncomfortable experience involving a manager instructing her to ignore another artist.

This incident led to over 100 complaints being filed with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, bringing attention to the group’s workplace conditions. Despite Kim Joo-young’s pledge to improve communication and listen more attentively to artists' concerns, the interaction left many divided on the issue.

At the Assembly, the NewJeans member expressed her confusion and frustration, questioning why such behavior was tolerated in a professional setting. She explained that her decision to speak at the assembly stemmed from a desire to prevent such incidents from being swept under the rug, emphasizing that this kind of treatment should not continue for colleagues, seniors, juniors, or trainees.

Meanwhile, Park Hong-bae, a representative from the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized HYBE’s handling of the situation, pointing out the absence of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk at the hearing.

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Fans are now eagerly waiting for both sides to reach an agreement, hoping that the group can continue their careers without further hindrance.