National Assembly Member Proposes “NewJeans Hanni Law”

Recently, a new bill was introduced at the National Assembly, which Korean media has dubbed the “NewJeans Hanni Law.”

Representative Jeong Hye Kyung of the Progressive Party held a press conference on November 26, KST, at the National Assembly Communication Building and introduced a partial amendment to the Labor Standards Act aimed at preventing workplace harassment, especially for workers who are under special employment contracts. Speaking about the bill’s purpose, Rep. Jeong emphasized that everyone was entitled to protection from workplace harassment “regardless of income, employment relationship, or contractual relationship.”

This bill came after NewJeans member Hanni’s appearance at the Environment and Labor Committee’s National Assembly audit, where she testified about the workplace harassment she allegedly faced at HYBE. But on November 20, KST, the Ministry of Employment and Labor dismissed the case, ruling that Hanni did not qualify as a “worker” under current labor laws of South Korea and, hence, her experience couldn’t be considered “workplace bullying.” This ruling invited significant criticism from netizens across the globe.

Rep. Jeong mentioned Hanni in her statement, adding that the new amendment was meant to help countless other workers like her who were unprotected due to the current nature of the Labor Standards Act.

Not just Hanni of NewJeans, but there are many people in the workforce who are not protected under this law because the current law only prohibits workplace bullying in employer-employee dynamics.

— Representative Jeong Hye Kyung

Rep. Jeong cited some examples, mentioning how apartment security workers are often berated or harassed, often leading to tragic suicide cases, but since they work under special employment contracts, the current workplace harassment prevention laws are ineffective in such situations.

The proposed new bill stipulates special provisions for labor providers and artists and includes obligatory measures for employers to take action in case of harassment by third parties. The amendment also establishes penalties for perpetrators and employers who fail to take appropriate measures to prevent workplace harassment.