Belift Lab Denies Bullying Allegations Against NewJeans' Hani: "Groundless Claims"...
Hints at Legal Action

‍

Belift Lab, the agency of the group Eyelight, has strongly denied workplace bullying allegations involving NewJeans member Hani.

On the 7th, through an official statement, Belift Lab claimed that this incident is an "unfounded personnel controversy" and stated that they are considering legal action in response to ongoing accusations.

Belift Lab explained, "The Eyelight manager has never made a statement like 'ignore' towards NewJeans members," adding, "None of the Eyelight members have ever passed by NewJeans members without greeting them."

This directly contradicts allegations made by NewJeans members and their mothers.

Belift Lab also mentioned the results of reviewing CCTV footage, stating that on May 27th, the only encounter between the two groups in HYBE's building showed Eyelight members bowing at a 90-degree angle to Hani of NewJeans.

This contradicts the NewJeans side's claim that there was no greeting.

Regarding the allegations that CCTV footage was deleted, Belift Lab responded by explaining that former representative Min Hee-jin requested additional footage on August 14th, but by that time, the 30-day retention period had expired, making it impossible to retrieve additional footage.

They emphasized that claims of intentional deletion by HYBE are unfounded.

Additionally, Belift Lab denied claims about the deletion of footage allegedly containing the "ignore" remark, saying, "CCTV does not record audio, making such claims baseless."

This highlighted the technical impossibility of verifying specific comments through CCTV.

As the situation has dragged on, Belift Lab also mentioned the difficulties faced by their staff.

They stated that their employees, who "are inevitably in a weaker position compared to famous artists," are experiencing extreme frustration and mental distress, arguing that they are the ones being harassed.

Belift Lab has sent two official statements to ADOR and demanded an apology from the NewJeans member and ADOR following the member's live broadcast, but they received no response.

This was intended to highlight their efforts for resolution while pointing out the other party's lack of cooperation.

Belift Lab concluded, "If this issue continues to damage the honor of our company, artists, and staff or obstruct their work, we will take all available measures."

This indicates their willingness to consider legal action in order to prevent the situation from dragging on further.

This incident shows a new facet of conflicts between K-pop artists and disputes between agencies within the industry.

The tension between a rookie group and an established group, along with the actions of their respective agencies, has drawn attention.

The mention of this incident during a National Assembly inspection session also suggests the growing influence and importance of the K-pop industry.

There is considerable interest in how this situation will unfold and what impact it may have on the K-pop industry.

Discussions on mutual respect between artists, agency responsibilities, and fostering a healthy culture within the industry are expected to continue.