NewJeans' Hanni was recently revealed to have an E-6 visa, which is usually used to work in South Korea. However, the NJZ member reportedly received help from Korean politicians to obtain the visa.
This was revealed by a politician who is also a member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party named Park Ji Won. Through a blog post on February 12, 2025, Ji Won revealed that he discussed Hanni's visa issue at a plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
"This morning, at the Judiciary Committee, we questioned Acting Minister of Justice Kim Seok Woo, and I would like to thank the Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Justice for quickly processing and issuing the visa," he said. The post backfired on Ji Won, earning her a wave of harsh criticism from netizens.
Many strongly rebuked the politician for meddling in an inappropriate matter for the National Assembly and for supporting a foreign celebrity who is currently accused of violating her contract. " The NewJeans controversy is a major civil contract dispute with two opposing parties…
But an Australian-Vietnamese citizen's visa extension? Raising this issue in the National Assembly and pressuring the Ministry of Justice surprises me… You mentioned public frustration and export difficulties—how is that related to Hanni's visa extension?
I'm really disappointed…[sic!] ," wrote one netizen. " Why would a member of parliament interfere in an administrative matter? If these visas were issued without following proper procedures, does that mean the National Assembly is abusing its power?[sic!] ," added another.
On the other hand, Hanni, who holds dual citizenship of Australia and Vietnam, lived and worked in South Korea on an E-6 visa. The visa reportedly expired in January this year. She had to be hired by an employer to extend her visa, but all members have announced their termination of contracts with ADOR.
ADOR claimed the contract termination was unlawful and filed a lawsuit against the members, which is still ongoing. Until the situation calms down, Hanni cannot sign with any new agencies. Therefore, her visa extension has been a hot topic for the past few months.
Recently, ADOR claimed Hanni refused to sign the paperwork they had submitted to extend her visa. In response, her parents released a statement informing the public that she had obtained the visa on February 11, 2025.
"Hanni legally obtained a new visa on February 11, 2025 through proper procedures. ADOR is pressuring Hanni and her parents by exploiting the sensitive issue of visas, which is a major concern for foreign residents in Korea," the parent of the NewJeans member said.
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