"Hani's Mindset When She Went Out"... SNL Faces Public Backlash Over Parody

Racial Discrimination Controversy Over Clumsy Korean Pronunciation
Some Netizens Demand "Apology from Hani"

Coupang Play's flagship comedy program 'SNL Korea' is facing backlash after parodying Hanni, a member of the group NewJeans, who recently appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's audit on workplace harassment.

In the 'SNL Korea Season 6' episode released on the 19th, a segment parodied NewJeans' Hanni's appearance at the National Assembly audit. In this segment, actress Ji Ye-eun played the role of NewJeans' Hanni, while actor Kim Eui-sung portrayed the president of Hanwha Ocean, who caused controversy by taking a selfie with Hanni at the audit venue.

On the 19th, actor Kim Eui-sung (left), who played the president of Hanwha Ocean in Coupang Play's "SNL Korea Season 6," released on the same day, is taking a selfie with Ji Ye-eun, who played NewJeans' Hanni. [Image source: Screenshot from the "SNL Korea" broadcast]

In the broadcast, Ji Ye-eun appeared wearing a blue striped t-shirt and a short wig, mimicking Hanni's outfit from the 'Blue Coral Reef' stage performance that had previously attracted attention. She imitated Hanni's foreign-accented Korean pronunciation and said, "I am here because I was subjected to workplace harassment." When asked to "provide specific details," she said, "I greeted an employee from a neighboring team, but their supervisor said, 'Hey, just ignore her.' And I was very sad." After finishing her statement, Ji Ye-eun returned to her seat. Then, when Kim Eui-sung raised his phone to take a selfie together, Ji Ye-eun smiled brightly at the camera.

After the video was released, viewers expressed discomfort. They commented, "SNL is a program based on satire, but parodying Hanni is inappropriate," "They ridiculed someone who came to the National Assembly audit to report workplace harassment," and "This is excessive mockery."

There were also accusations that mocking a foreigner's imperfect Korean pronunciation amounted to racial discrimination. Notably, on the 17th, Gangbuk-gu caused controversy by parodying Hanni's difficulty understanding questions in a promotional video for the local 'Hanmaeum Sports Festival' event. Following this broadcast, fans' discomfort grew even more. The Gangbuk-gu video has since been set to private.

As criticism continued, Ji Ye-eun's social media accounts were flooded with negative comments. Netizens said, "NewJeans went through so much hardship, and Hanni was very sincere in that setting?how can you mock that?" and used the hashtag '#SNLKOREA_APOLOGIZE_TO_HANNI'. On the other hand, opinions such as "Why is this Ji Ye-eun's fault?" "It's just a parody of a trending figure," and "Overreaction" were also strongly expressed.

Jung In-seop, President of Hanwha Ocean Geoje Plant, is capturing NewJeans Hani on camera at the Environment and Labor Committee's national audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 15th.
[Photo by National Assembly Press Corps, Yonhap News]

On the 15th, Hanni appeared as a witness at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit and spoke out about bullying within HYBE. She stated, "After hair and makeup were done, I was waiting in the hallway when about three other team members and a female manager passed by, and I greeted them properly. Five or ten minutes later, they came back. The manager made eye contact with me and told the members following her, 'Just pretend you didn't see her and ignore her.'" She added, "I couldn't understand why I had to go through this, and I didn't understand why such words were said in a work environment. I came forward hoping that no one?whether seniors, juniors, peers, or current trainees?would have to experience this."

Meanwhile, at the audit, Jeong In-seop, president of Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) Geoje plant, was called to the National Assembly audit due to a fatal industrial accident in which five subcontracted and direct workers died. He was criticized for taking a selfie with Hanni, who was seated behind him, which was deemed inappropriate. At the time, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Tae-seon said, "People are dying at the company, and you're taking selfies? Is this a joke? You can take selfies, but a representative appearing as a witness should not have that mindset." Jeong apologized, saying, "Hanni was nervous," and "I'm sorry." As the controversy grew, Hanwha Ocean issued an apology under CEO Kim Hee-chul's name, stating, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern due to our thoughtless actions. We deeply apologize to the public, the National Assembly, and the bereaved families."