Last Updated:December 21, 2024, 15:50 IST
ADOR assured the public that they are working on the documents to renew NewJeans Hanni’s visa.
NewJeans terminated their contract with ADOR on November 29. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Just when you thought the drama related to NewJeans couldn’t get any more intense, reports have surfaced stating that one of its members was reported as an illegal immigrant. This comes after the five-membered K-pop group decided to terminate its exclusive contract with ADOR, a subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment giant HYBE.
On December 20, 10Asia reported that an unidentified individual reported NewJeans’ Hanni as an illegal immigrant to South Korean Customs and demanded her immediate deportation. The K-pop idol, who holds dual citizenship in Australia and Vietnam, is required to renew her visa in South Korea annually. This usually isn’t a tedious process because an artist’s agency handles the legalities, but it is different for the NewJeans member.
Earlier, media reports stated that Hanni’s E-6 Culture and Entertainment visa was soon expiring. She has been granted the E-6 visa through her former agency, ADOR. Usually, renewing the visa is not an issue, but as NewJeans has unilaterally terminated its contract with their agency, the situation has gotten a bit complicated.
However, ADOR assured the public that they were working to renew Hanni’s visa, as they did not acknowledge the termination of the contract. Now, legal experts believe that if NewJeans chooses to operate independently without ADOR’s sponsorship, the K-pop idol will be left without a valid visa.
Danielle and Hanni are among the five members of NewJeans who hold dual citizenship. Danielle holds citizenship in Australia and South Korea, which has saved her from such complications. Hanni’s situation, however, is different.
If Hanni has, indeed, decided to terminate her contract with ADOR on November 29, her visa has already become invalid on December 13, and she is no longer a legal immigrant in the country. Now, she is needed to seek a change in her visa status. This could involve applying for a new E-6 visa through a different agency, obtaining a D-10 job seeker visa, or she will have to leave the country within 15 days, with the deadline having already passed.
While NewJeans’ Hanni can opt to sign with a new agency and renew her E-6 visa, immigration laws require her prior agency, ADOR, to approve the transfer. Considering the current legal battle between ADOR and NewJeans, it is improbable that the agency will provide such permission.
Moreover, the law requires that people apply for a new sponsorship or a visa transfer within 15 days of their contract ending. Now that the stipulated time period has passed, Hanni may have to leave South Korea and reapply for an E-6 visa from overseas.
On November 28, NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein called an emergency press conference to announce their departure from ADOR. They stated that their contract with the label will be ending on November 29.