In late September, it was reported that NewJeans’ Hanni had been selected by the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee to testify during a state audit scheduled for October, following claims she made about workplace bullying during a live stream.
Hanni confirmed her participation shortly before the event, and on October 15, she attended the hearing. Fans praised her professionalism in representing herself and NewJeans, with many highlighting her thoughtful responses.
However, after the press conference, a particular clip of Hanni’s reaction to a photo of Bang Si-hyuk (HYBE’s CEO) started gaining attention. In August 2024, Bang Si-hyuk became a talking point after a picture of him walking with streamer Juice Seyeon in Los Angeles surfaced online. He has faced ridicule over the photo, even becoming the subject of jokes in an SNL Korea sketch.
During the hearing, this image was displayed on the screen. In the video, Hanni is seen covering her face, which many interpreted as her trying to suppress laughter.
The clip quickly went viral on X, amassing 800,000 views, with netizens commenting that they might have reacted similarly, “Hanni you are a good girl if I were you I have burst into laugh the second that picture showed up,” “Her laughter is crypto gold!,” “Hanni is better than me cause I’ll surely burst out laughing.”