NewJeans’ Hanni’s Visa Trouble Leads to Shift in Comeback Performance to Hong Kong

NewJeans’ Hanni has reportedly been denied a visa extension for her stay in South Korea.

As a result, NewJeans is scheduled to hold its comeback performance next month not in South Korea, but in Hong Kong, leading to speculation that this decision was due to Hanni’s visa expiration.

According to YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, a former journalist, Hanni’s E-6 visa expired in early February.

Hanni, who is of Vietnamese-Australian descent, requires an E-6 visa to stay in South Korea legally. Her agency issues the visa as a condition of her employment.

The E-6 visa, granted to foreign entertainers, requires specific documentation under South Korea’s Popular Culture Industry Act. This includes a copy of the exclusive contract with a registered entertainment agency, a letter of guarantee from the agency’s representative, and an employment recommendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

At the end of last year, Hanni notified her agency, ADOR, of her decision to terminate her exclusive contract and pursue an independent path.

Under South Korea’s Immigration Control Act, an E-6 visa is automatically invalidated once the exclusive contract between an artist and their agency is terminated.

To extend the E-6 visa, the artist must sign a new exclusive contract with another agency within 15 days of the previous contract expiring. However, Hanni is still in a legal dispute with ADOR regarding the validity of her contract termination.

Reports indicate that ADOR attempted to process the necessary documents to extend Hanni’s visa, but the visa expired after she refused to sign the paperwork.

Although Hanni can remain in South Korea under a different visa, she cannot engage in entertainment-related economic activities.

Meanwhile, NewJeans announced on February 7 via social media that they would rebrand as NJZ and participate in Complex Live, an event in Hong Kong from March 21 to 23.

Minji expressed excitement, stating, “I am thrilled to showcase a new side of NJZ on stage for the first time. This performance is a significant moment for us, and I eagerly look forward to sharing the new music we’ve been preparing with our fans worldwide.”