🔗 2024-11-26 Jung Hye-kyung of the Jinbo Party Proposes ‘NewJeans Hanni Act’

A bill has been proposed to extend legal protection against workplace bullying to artists like NewJeans’ Hanni, as well as special employment and platform workers.

Rep. Jung Hye-kyung of the Jinbo Party held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the afternoon of the 26th and proposed a partial amendment to the Labor Standards Act to prevent workplace bullying. She emphasized, “Regardless of whether income is high or low, or whether it is an employment relationship or a contractual relationship, anyone who works must not be subjected to bullying by superiors or others at the workplace.”

Previously, NewJeans member Hanni appeared at the Environment and Labor Committee’s national audit to testify about workplace bullying, but on the 20th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor determined that she is not a subject of protection against workplace bullying because Hanni is not considered a “worker” (employee) under the current law.

Rep. Jung stated, “Not only NewJeans’ Hanni, but many people who work are still unable to receive protection under this law. This is because the current law prohibits workplace bullying only within the employer-employee relationship.”

Rep. Jung continued to explain the background of the proposal, saying, “Apartment security workers are sometimes insulted by residents telling them to ‘bark like a dog,’ and some security workers have even taken their own lives due to assault and bullying by residents. However, in these special relationships, the workplace bullying prohibition law is useless.”

This amendment introduces special provisions regarding “labor providers” and artists. It also establishes regulations for the employer’s obligation to take action in the event of bullying by a third party, and establishes penalty provisions for perpetrators and for employers who do not implement appropriate measures when workplace bullying or bullying by a third party occurs.