The fate of NewJeans' Hanni or NJZ's career as a K-Pop idol has sparked concerns. This is because the idol born in 2004 is reportedly still reluctant to sign the visa extension documents handled by ADOR, the agency whose contract she has terminated.
According to a report by media outlet TV Daily on February 11, 2025, "Hanni, who holds dual citizenship in Australia and Vietnam, had her E-6 visa for South Korea expired earlier this month. This means she will no longer be able to engage in entertainment activities in the country."
"As the exclusive contract lawsuit filed by ADOR has not been resolved, she also faces the risk of not being able to sign a contract with a new agency. However, ADOR has reportedly prepared all the necessary documents for her visa extension, but Hanni refused to sign them," the media outlet revealed.
The media also immediately asked ADOR for an explanation regarding Hanni's visa status. However, the representative of the agency under HYBE refused to comment further and only replied, "We cannot confirm this information."
It is known that the five members of NewJeans informed ADOR about the termination of their contracts and have since changed their name to a new name in late November 2024. They remain adamant about leaving, even though ADOR has repeatedly persuaded them.
In early February 2025, the members of NewJeans announced that they would be promoting under a new name, NJZ. The group will be participating in a concert in Hong Kong this March 2025. This will mark NJZ's first official performance since their name change.
Hyein and co. also plan to release new songs in Hong Kong. Some speculate that Hanni's expired E-6 visa prevented her from participating in entertainment activities in Korea. This may have influenced the group's decision to move their performances overseas.
Hanni's mandatory E-6 visa is actually issued to foreign artists based on employment contracts with domestic agencies. According to Hanni, she is not under contract with ADOR or has signed a contract with a new agency. By refusing to sign the visa extension, the idol has made herself an undocumented resident in Korea.
According to South Korea's Justice Ministry, foreign nationals with expired visas can remain in the country if they are facing ongoing legal charges. However, they are not allowed to engage in entertainment activities.
Meanwhile, ADOR filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts with the former NewJeans members. The agency also requested an injunction to prohibit the members from signing any new endorsement deals. ADOR maintains its stance that theirs with NewJeans remain legally binding.
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