SEOUL: South Korean police have launched an investigation into allegations that Ador unlawfully disclosed NewJeans member Hanni’s (pic) visa information to the media during the agency’s contract dispute with the singer.
According to Seoul Yongsan Police Station on Tuesday (Aug 11), investigators on Aug 10 questioned attorney Park Kang-hoon — the legal representative of culture critic Kim Sung-soo who filed a complaint against Ador and several of its employees on suspicion of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
Following police questioning, Park was quoted by local media as saying investigators focused on whether information such as the type of visa Hanni held and its expiration date constitutes personal information protected by law.
“The Personal Information Protection Act does not apply only to information that cannot be obtained elsewhere,” Park told reporters on Aug 10. “If information belonging to an individual’s private sphere is disclosed through unauthorised channels, it may constitute a violation of the law.”
Park alleged that a small number of Ador employees disclosed internal information regarding Hanni’s visa extension process to entertainment media outlets during the agency’s legal dispute with the singer.
“The agency was responsible for managing her immigration status, which is essential for any foreign national working in Korea, but instead used it as leverage,” Park said. “The investigation should determine who provided that information to the media.”
Park also said police showed him roughly 1,000 petitions submitted by members of the public and fans calling for Ador to face severe punishment if the allegations are confirmed.
Kim filed the complaint on July 28, alleging that Ador improperly disclosed information it had obtained while managing Hanni’s visa, including the visa category, expiration date and details regarding her visa extension application.
“Only immigration authorities, the individual concerned and the agency handling the application would ordinarily have access to information such as a foreign national’s visa expiration date or the status of a visa extension,” Kim said in a statement issued at the time.
“It is difficult to understand how such information could have appeared in media reports citing only anonymous music industry sources.”
Kim further alleged that the information was leaked to reinforce the narrative that Hanni could become an undocumented resident in Korea if she left Ador during the exclusive contract dispute.
Hanni, who holds Australian and Vietnamese citizenship, had been working in Korea on an E-6 culture and entertainment visa.
During her contract dispute with Ador, several entertainment media outlets reported that she could lose her legal status in Korea if she left the agency because she would no longer meet the visa’s sponsorship requirements. The controversy later subsided after it was confirmed that Hanni had obtained a new visa.
Recently, NewJeans uploaded its first group content in more than a year since the group suspended activities following its performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March 2025.
Though the new content fuelled speculation regarding the girl group’s comeback, Ador confirmed that no decisions have been made regarding future activities and that details would be shared once discussions with the members have concluded. - The Korea Herald/ANN
