The Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to maintain the certification of excellence for the entertainment agency HYBE, which has been embroiled in controversies over workplace harassment and industrial accident cover-ups involving Hanni, a member of the girl group NewJeans.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 30th, the selection withdrawal committee for the certification of excellence held a meeting on the 27th and made this decision.
The certification of excellence is awarded to corporations that contribute to creating quality jobs and improving the working environment, with the Ministry of Employment and Labor selecting 100 companies annually. HYBE was listed as an exemplary company in September.
However, recently, several allegations have been raised involving workplace harassment and industrial accident cover-up concerning Hanni, an artist associated with HYBE, leading to controversy over HYBE's designation as an exemplary company. Some complainants have filed petitions with the Ministry of Employment and Labor to investigate these allegations. According to the conditions for selecting exemplary companies, selection can be withdrawn if there is a social controversy, media reports, lawsuits, complaints leading to controversy, or violations of the Labor Standards Act or the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted an investigation based on the contents of the complaints and determined that it was difficult to see it as a violation of the law. Considering that no objective circumstances were acknowledged to warrant the withdrawal, the selection withdrawal committee for the certification of excellence also decided to maintain the designation.