NewJeans' Hanni wins lawsuit against trolls who mocked her Australian background

NewJeans member Hanni has partially won a damages lawsuit against users who attacked her online. The Seoul Western District Court ordered two defendants to pay 100,000 won each, about $75, according to Korean media. The ruling came in July, roughly one year and four months after the suit was filed, and has only now been made public.

The comments were posted on October 15, 2024, under an article about Hanni appearing at a National Assembly audit as a witness, where she spoke about the workplace harassment she said she experienced during the dispute between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and HYBE. The attacks included insults about her Australian background and her Korean.

The court said criticizing someone is not unlawful in principle, but that the posts contained profanity and 'contemptuous' personal attacks, warranting compensation for emotional distress. The amount is symbolic, but the win adds to idols' push back against hate comments.