NewJeans member Hani. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]
NewJeans member Hani. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) provided]

Police have launched an investigation into how NewJeans member Hani's visa information was leaked to the media, with the probe targeting her agency Ador.

The Seoul Yongsan Police Station on Monday questioned Park Gang-hun, an attorney at law firm Gangseongui representing the complainant, according to Yonhap.

Park's client, pop culture critic Kim Sung-su, filed a complaint against Ador and its executives and employees on July 28, alleging violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. The complaint contends that Ador staff, who learned of Hani's entertainment visa (E-6) type, expiration date and the status of her renewal application in the course of their work, passed that information to the media during an ongoing exclusive-contract dispute.

Park said police focused their questioning on whether visa type and expiration date fall within the category of information protected under the Personal Information Protection Act.

During the probe, Park argued that "the Personal Information Protection Act does not protect only information that cannot be verified through any channel," adding that "if information belonging to an individual's private sphere is disclosed outside legitimate channels, the elements of a legal violation are satisfied."

Details about Hani's visa renewal application and the progress of the process were reported by multiple entertainment outlets. Park claimed that a very small number of Ador executives and employees passed the information to certain journalists.

"The agency was supposed to manage the residency status that is a lifeline for a foreign national, but instead used it as a weapon," Park said. "It must be established whose hands carried that information to the press."

Park also confirmed Monday that more than 1,000 petitions from citizens and fans calling for severe punishment of Ador had been submitted to police.

Hani, who holds dual Australian and Vietnamese citizenship, must maintain an E-6 visa to continue working in South Korea. Her existing visa expired while a dispute dragged on after she declared her exclusive contract with Ador terminated, citing the agency's failure to fulfill its obligations.

In February last year, some entertainment outlets reported that if Hani parted ways with Ador she would lose her agency sponsor, fail to meet visa requirements and potentially become an undocumented resident. Those reports were put to rest after it was confirmed that she had obtained a new visa.


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