South Korean K-pop girl group NewJeans members (L-R) Haerin, Danielle, Minji, Hanni and Hyein attend a press conference in Seoul on November 28, 2024. Photo by YONHAP / AFP
NewJeans are expected to pause full-group activities for the next two to three months due to the work visa of member Hanni, who has dual Vietnamese and Australian nationality. Hanni’s E-6 visa is due to expire next month. The E-6 visa allows K-pop singers and other entertainment industry workers of foreign nationality to work in the entertainment industry in South Korea.
The situation is complicated by the unresolved dispute between Hanni and her agency, Ador, over the validity of their exclusive contract. This situation makes it challenging for Ador to facilitate her visa renewal.
Ador, however, told The Korea Herald on Wednesday that it is preparing the necessary documents for Hanni’s visa renewal, asserting that her exclusive contract with the company remains valid.
Despite Ador’s claims, the likelihood of Hanni continuing with the agency appears slim. She and the group announced in November that NewJeans would unilaterally terminate their contracts with Ador.
With her visa to expire in February and NewJeans currently lacking a management agency, the group’s future activities remain uncertain. Even if the rumored establishment of a family-run agency proves true, securing a new E-6 visa is a lengthy and stringent process.
If Hanni does not renew her visa through Ador, she must leave South Korea and apply for a new E-6 visa. To obtain this visa, a new agency would need to provide various documents, including: an exclusive contract with one agency in accordance with the Pop Culture Industry Act, a letter of guarantee from the agency’s CEO and an employment recommendation letter from the Culture Ministry. The process of getting a new E-6 visa typically takes two to three months.
Hanni is rumored to have left Korea for Australia. If confirmed, this could suggest that she is applying for a new visa from Australia before returning to resume her activities in Korea.
Ador said it does not know Hanni’s whereabouts.
Hanni faced accusations of illegal residency this month, based on her position that her contract with Ador has been terminated. The Seoul Immigration Office declined to confirm the details of her case but said it would take appropriate measures once the employment relationship is clarified.
“For foreign national entertainers working in Korea on an E-6 visa, their residency status and duration are determined based on their employment contracts with domestic agencies,” the immigration office said.