ADOR reported to police over alleged leak of Hanni's visa information

ADOR, the record label and agency representing K-pop girl group NewJeans, has been reported to police over allegations that it leaked member Hanni's personal visa information to the media.

Cultural critic Kim Sung-soo said Tuesday that he had filed a complaint with the Yongsan Police Station in central Seoul against ADOR and its executives and employees on suspicion of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

Kim alleged that ADOR provided Hanni's visa-related personal information, which it obtained in the course of handling her exclusive contract, to the media without her consent during the agency's contract dispute with the singer.

Among the information released were the type of Hanni's E-6 entertainment visa, its expiration date and the status of her visa extension application, the critic said. 

"The expiration date of a foreign resident's visa and the progress of a visa extension application are information that is known only to immigration authorities, the individual concerned and the agency handling the administrative process," Kim said. "It is difficult to understand how internal information that could not be obtained through ordinary reporting came to be disclosed through anonymous sources described as 'multiple music industry representatives.'"

Kim also alleged that ADOR sought to gain an advantage in its contract dispute by using Hanni's visa information to spread the perception that she could become an undocumented immigrant.

Hanni, an Australian citizen of Vietnamese descent, had been working in Korea on an E-6 visa for those categorized by the government as "entertainers." After she declared the termination of her exclusive contract, several entertainment media outlets reported in February last year that she could become an undocumented immigrant if she left ADOR because she would no longer meet the requirements for maintaining her visa. The controversy subsided after it was revealed that Hanni had obtained a new visa.

The complaint also included as evidence a statement released by the parents of the NewJeans members on Feb. 12 last year. At the time, the parents said about 70 speculative news reports concerning Hanni's visa had been published over two days and expressed strong regret that personal information unlikely to be known to anyone other than the individual concerned had been widely circulated through the media.

ADOR had not issued a separate statement on the allegations as of Tuesday.

Hanni debuted as a member of NewJeans under ADOR, a HYBE subsidiary, in 2022. The group quickly rose to become one of K-pop's biggest breakout acts after its debut. However, its career was thrown into turmoil after a conflict among ADOR, HYBE and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin escalated in 2024.

Following the dispute, the members announced in November 2024 that they were terminating their exclusive contracts with ADOR, alleging mistreatment, while the agency maintained that the contracts remained valid. After a yearlong legal battle, Hanni returned to ADOR with Haerin and Hyein. Danielle left the group after ADOR terminated her exclusive contract in December 2025 and later sued her, a family member and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin for alleged contract breaches.

Minji's future with the group had also remained uncertain until ADOR recently released a series of videos marking NewJeans' fourth debut anniversary featuring Minji alongside Hanni, Haerin and Hyein. Although Minji's status with ADOR has remained unresolved for months, the appearance fueled speculation that the group could return as a four-member act.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]