NewJeans' Hanni Takes Malicious Commenters to Court, Wins $70 From Each

NewJeans member Hanni has won a civil damages case against two internet users over abusive comments directed at her following her 2024 National Assembly appearance.

According to Korean media reports on Oct. 1, the Seoul Western District Court ruled in July that the two defendants must each pay Hanni 100,000 won ($70) in damages. The decision came about a year and four months after she filed the lawsuit.

The comments were posted in October 2024 under articles about Hanni's testimony at a National Assembly audit, where she spoke about alleged workplace mistreatment. The posts included profanity targeting Hanni's Australian background and Korean-language ability, while also accusing her of having a "victim mentality" and attempting to make more money through the dispute.

The court found that the remarks went beyond permissible criticism and amounted to insulting and contemptuous personal attacks. It noted that while expressing critical opinions about another person is not inherently unlawful, the comments at issue contained abusive language directed at Hanni personally and caused emotional harm.

One defendant reportedly argued that the comment did not violate generally accepted social standards, but the court rejected the claim.

Hanni's National Assembly testimony came amid the wider dispute involving former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE. She told lawmakers at the time that she had experienced workplace mistreatment, including an incident in which she alleged that a manager associated with another HYBE label told others to "ignore" her.

A labor complaint related to Hanni's allegations was later closed after authorities concluded in November 2024 that she could not be considered a "worker" protected under the Labor Standards Act. The latest ruling concerns the separate issue of the online comments made about her.