S. Korean police investigate alleged unlawful disclosure of NewJeans' Hanni's visa data

South Korean police have opened an investigation into whether the entertainment agency Ador broke privacy law by sharing NewJeans member Hanni's visa details with the media during a contract dispute with the singer. The Seoul Yongsan Police Station confirmed on Tuesday, August 11, that investigators had questioned attorney Park Kang-hoon on August 10. Park represents culture critic Kim Sung-soo, who filed the complaint against Ador and several of its employees for allegedly violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

The core question police are examining is whether information about Hanni's visa type and expiration date qualifies as protected personal data under South Korean law. Park told reporters after his questioning that the law does not require information to be completely unavailable elsewhere to warrant protection. "If information belonging to an individual's private sphere is disclosed through unauthorised channels, it may constitute a violation of the law," he said. Park alleged that a small group of Ador employees leaked internal details about Hanni's visa extension process to entertainment media outlets while the agency and singer were locked in their legal dispute.

The allegation centers on how Ador managed Hanni's immigration status. Park argued that the agency, which held responsibility for maintaining her legal work status in Korea, instead weaponized that responsibility. "The agency was responsible for managing her immigration status, which is essential for any foreign national working in Korea, but instead used it as leverage," he said. He called on investigators to identify which employees provided the information to media outlets. Police also showed Park approximately 1,000 public petitions and fan submissions demanding severe punishment for Ador if the allegations proved true.

Kim filed the original complaint on July 28, stating that Ador had improperly disclosed information it obtained while handling Hanni's visa application—including the visa category, expiration date, and details of her extension request. He noted that ordinarily only immigration authorities, the individual, and the agency processing the application would have access to such details. "It is difficult to understand how such information could have appeared in media reports citing only anonymous music industry sources," Kim said at the time. He further alleged that the leak was designed to reinforce a narrative that Hanni would become undocumented if she left Ador during their contract dispute.

Hanni, who holds Australian and Vietnamese citizenship, had been working in Korea on an E-6 culture and entertainment visa sponsored by Ador. During the dispute, several entertainment media outlets reported that she risked losing her legal status if she departed the agency, since she would no longer qualify for visa sponsorship. That pressure point—the threat of losing the right to work and remain in the country—became central to the controversy. The situation eventually eased after Hanni secured a new visa, allowing her to maintain her legal status independently of Ador's sponsorship.

The investigation arrives as NewJeans has begun to resurface publicly. The group uploaded its first collective content in over a year following a hiatus that began after their performance at ComplexCon Hong Kong in March 2025. The new material sparked speculation about a potential comeback, though Ador stated that no decisions about future activities have been made and that any announcements would come only after discussions with the members conclude. The visa disclosure case remains unresolved, with police now tasked with determining whether Ador's actions crossed the legal line between managing an employee's immigration needs and weaponizing private information.