In the middle of NewJeans' pursuit to terminate their contract with their label ADOR, thereby leading under a new name, 'Jeanz,' member Hanni finds herself caught up with visa and legal issues if the group's termination comes to fruition.
NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein notified ADOR of their contract termination on November 28, leaving the girls agency-less.
Hanni, who holds dual citizenship in Australia and Vietnam, is officially classified as a foreigner in South Korea and must renew her visa annually.
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If the girls' contract termination holds up, Hanni will technically have been an illegal resident in Korea since December 14, according to a TenAsia report.
Danielle, the other non-native Korean NewJeans member, holds dual citizenship in Australia and South Korea and is therefore unaffected.
Currently, Hanni remains in Korea on a visa sponsored by ADOR, which effectively acknowledges ADOR as her agency and upholds the validity of her exclusive contract.
If NewJeans' call for contract termination is honored, Hanni's contract would have been terminated on November 29, and her visa issued through ADOR would have no longer been valid.
The idol would then have had to abide by South Korea's Immigration Control Act, returning her Alien Registration Card and leaving the country within 15 days of claiming her contract termination, which would have been December 13.
If NewJeans' contract termination stands, Hanni would currently be classified as an illegal resident in South Korea.
Korea's Immigration Control Act allows for the transfer of employment under an existing visa but the consent of the previous employer is required. ADOR's current stance maintains that its exclusive contract with NewJeans is still valid, therefore it remains highly unlikely that consent would be provided.
If Hanni is to be released from her responsibilities to ADOR, she must obtain another agency to legally work as an entertainer in South Korea.
Laws require the idol to obtain an E-6 (Entertainment) visa, which requires sponsorship from a registered agency, an exclusive contract with an agency registered as a pop culture arts planning business under the Pop Culture Industry Promotion Act, the agency's registration certificate, a letter of guarantee from the agency's representative, as well as an employment recommendation letter from the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
In the circumstances that NewJeans is relinquished from ADOR, Hanni must obtain an E-6 visa to engage in personal activities or continue her domestic promotions, a process that typically takes two to three months, during which she would be unable to promote in Korea.
If NewJeans' contract termination is actualized, the group would be able to promote as a full group in Korea for the duration of that time.
According to industry insiders, Hanni's visa through ADOR is set to expire early next year.
"ADOR's exclusive contract with NewJeans remains valid. Therefore, we are currently preparing the necessary documents to renew Hanni's visa," said an ADOR representative.
