NewJeans member Hanni has been reported as an illegal immigrant. An individual, referred to as A, filed a deportation request on Dec. 20 with the Ministry of Justice’s Immigration Policy Division.
NewJeans members, including Hanni, claimed their exclusive contracts with their management agency, ADOR, were terminated as of Nov. 28. While Danielle, holding dual citizenship in South Korea and Australia, faces no issues, Hanni, an Australian-Vietnamese dual citizen, must renew her visa annually.
If the contract is terminated as NewJeans claims, Hanni no longer has an active agency affiliation, meaning the visa issued through ADOR would no longer be valid. A claims that, under the Immigration Control Act, Hanni was obligated to surrender her alien registration card and leave South Korea within 15 days of the alleged contract termination, by Nov. 13. Some argue that the law requires foreign workers on an E-6 visa to obtain approval from their employer for a transfer, which ADOR is unlikely to grant.
So, is Hanni really an illegal resident? The answer is no. Foreign workers who terminate their contracts must leave the country within 15 days unless they sign a new employment contract. However, they can apply to change their visa status within 30 days. Since less than a month has passed since Hanni’s claimed contract termination, she is not considered an illegal resident.
Will Hanni become an illegal resident by Dec. 29? This is unlikely. ADOR is reportedly preparing to renew Hanni’s visa, which is set to expire early next year. Furthermore, since ADOR has filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of their exclusive contracts with NewJeans, the visa issued under ADOR is expected to remain valid until a final legal ruling is made.
Nonetheless, ADOR’s support is crucial for Hanni to continue her career in the K-pop industry. She could leave the country and apply for a new visa, but to obtain an E-6 visa, she would need documents such as a copy of the exclusive contract, a letter of guarantee from the agency’s CEO, and a recommendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Typically, obtaining a visa takes two to three months, and submitting documents from a new agency other than ADOR could lead to legal complications.
