"Bang Si-hyuk, Is This the Time to Be Laughing in the US?" BJ Photo Revealed [2024 National Audit]

NewJeans Hani Attends National Assembly Audit
Criticism Over HYBE's Selection as 'Top Company'

NewJeans' Hani appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit held on the 15th and showed tears while speaking. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

At the National Assembly, concerns were raised over HYBE being selected as a 'Top Job Creator Company in South Korea,' leading to the possibility of the award being revoked.

NewJeans member Hani and Kim Juyoung, CEO of ADOR (NewJeans' agency) and HYBE's Chief Human Resources Officer, appeared as witnesses at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee's audit on the 15th. On that day, Hani directly criticized HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, saying, "Since my debut, I have encountered many senior figures. Every time I met them, they never once greeted me." She added, "Living in Korea, I understood that it is a cultural norm to behave respectfully toward elders, but not receiving a greeting from you is, regardless of profession, simply rude as a human being."

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hong-bae pointed out, "Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE who caused social controversy, is not present here. Instead of goofing off in the U.S., he should quickly realize the seriousness within the company." During the audit, a photo taken last August of Chairman Bang and internet broadcaster (BJ) Gwajupse-yeon (Inse-yeon) on a street in Los Angeles, USA, was displayed on the screen.

The evaluation by the Ministry of Labor, which designated HYBE as a top job creator company, was also criticized. Lawmaker Park argued, "There is mention that HYBE pursues horizontal communication and has established a communication culture where people address each other with 'nim' (a respectful suffix), but this directly contradicts testimonies of being ignored or ostracized." He continued, "There are controversies over allegations of workplace harassment cover-ups, such as the deletion of CCTV footage and the resignation of the involved party, and the head of the institution being summoned to the audit to take responsibility. I demand the cancellation of the Top Job Creator Company designation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to HYBE's 'Top Job Creator Company Investigation Opinion Report' submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the ministry cited 'establishing a safe and enjoyable working environment' as one of HYBE's merits. It also noted 'pursuit of horizontal communication,' the '101 meeting culture' (one-on-one conversations without hierarchy), and included Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's selection as the 'Most Influential Person in the Global Music Industry' by Billboard in the U.S.

Lee Jeong-han, Director of Employment Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "The government selected HYBE as a Top Job Creator Company based on public recommendations, and it considered not only the horizontal organizational culture but also various aspects such as turnover rates and support for work-family balance." He added, "We conducted on-site inspections and reputation checks with labor and management organizations. No defects were found during the process, and the decision was fairly made by a review committee that included private experts." Regarding demands for revocation of the certification, he said, "There is a petition filed at a local office related to this matter, and once the investigation results are out, we will carefully review them."