As the South Korean entertainment industry grew in popularity over the past few years, the issue of artist abuse became a spotlighted controversy. The public criticized various entertainment companies for exploiting underage musicians and enforcing strict diets, raising concerns regarding the well-being of artists. Recently, this issue made headlines when Pham Hanni, a Vietnamese-Australian K-pop artist from the group NewJeans, testified in a parliament hearing to speak about artist abuse. The Labour Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly opened the hearing as part of an investigation into workplace harassment.
The 20-year-old artist’s appearance at the hearing was highly anticipated since the emergence of negative voices is rare in the South Korean entertainment industry. Often, artists avoid such activities that bring negative publicity to prevent them from being “canceled.” The suppression of dissent allows for further corruption in the industry and leads to a negative spiral effect prompting abuse.
In Pham’s testimony, she appealed for better treatment of artists and described her experiences in the South Korean entertainment industry, specifically the workplace bullying she received in her label, Hybe. According to The New York Times, Pham “recalled that a Hybe employee who manages a different K-pop group had once told members of that group to ‘ignore’” her. Hybe, one of South Korea’s most rapidly growing entertainment industries, houses popular K-pop groups such as BTS, which previously topped the global Billboard charts.
According to Reuters, Pham further explained that “a series of actions at the workplace made [NewJeans] feel they were hated by the company.”
“I hope trainees don’t suffer these incidents, and that’s why I decided to appear,” Pham said during the hearing. However, the CEO of Ador, a record label under Hybe that manages NewJeans, responded that no evidence has yet been found to back Pham’s claims.
Pham’s claims of workplace harassment was first made in a YouTube livestream that was begun by NewJeans members in early September. According to The New York Times, the video was posted in response to a conflict between NewJeans and Hybe that had persisted since Ador’s former CEO, Min Hee Jin, was forced to step down in August. This dismissal violated an earlier court order that prevented Hybe from taking such actions against Min. Aside from the livestream, NewJeans and Min publicly expressed their dissent and demanded that Hybe reinstate Min as the head of Ador by September 25. While the deadline has passed, both sides have taken no new actions.
The YouTube channel has since been taken down, and all major South Korean news platforms have refused to write about the incident. However, the video continues to circulate online through social media platforms, and many South Koreans remain divided in their support for the group. Some fans praise NewJeans for speaking up in a society where artists are frowned upon for expressing their struggles. In contrast, others believe that the members fabricated their statements to protect Min. Additionally, many express that the NewJeans’ claims that Hybe has mistreated them contradict the fact that all members have numerous brand deals and sponsorships.
Disregarding the sentiment one may feel toward the group’s controversy, it is undeniable that the issue of artist abuse in the South Korean entertainment industry continues to prevail, especially since the country’s “cancel culture” aids in suppressing voices of dissent and creates a facade in which faults remain under the surface. Due to Pham’s popularity, the testimony has garnered ample attention, putting the topic of entertainers’ rights under the spotlight. This may be the first step for the South Korean entertainment industry in removing the silence surrounding its history of artist abuse.
