NewJeans’ Hanni Faces Mixed Reactions From Vietnamese Netizens Due To Her Family’s Political Views

Hanni’s family from her mother’s side was found to be “boat people” who left Vietnam after the Vietnam War, which has led to mockery from local fans.

Hanni has faced strong criticism from Vietnamese netizens since NewJeans‘ debut last year. Some criticized her on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting she should leave NewJeans and stop mentioning her Vietnamese ethnicity.

This criticism stems from Hanni’s family, who are of Vietnamese origin but currently reside in Australia. Hanni, born in 2004 in Melbourne, is of Australian nationality. Her father and mother, both originally from Vietnam, are known to be from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively. However, her entire family, including grandparents, is currently residing in Australia.

Growing up in Australia, Hanni nurtured her dream of becoming a singer while watching K-pop artists. She is fluent in English and Korean, and also able to make simple conversations in Vietnamese.

Netizens have raised suspicions that Hanni’s family from her mother’s side are part of the “boat people,” who left Vietnam after the Vietnam War. This sentiment has fueled criticism against Hanni.

The term “boat people” refers to individuals, including anti-communist activists, who fled or were expelled from South Vietnam or the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War from the late 1970s to the 1990s. Many sought refuge or emigrated to countries like the UK, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the US and Australia.

Some Vietnamese netizens are questioning Hanni and her family’s political views, suggesting that they are against the current Vietnamese government.

This issue was raised after evidence of her grandfather supporting the Republic of Vietnam (the South Vietnam’s government in the Vietnam War) was found on Facebook. Several circulated images show members of Hanni’s family actively participating in activities supporting the South Vietnam government. Some past photos of Hanni related to the former government have also been discovered.

This backlash against Hanni seems to be ongoing. In one of Vietnam’s largest K-pop communities, the “K-Crush” page, posts related to NewJeans continue to face mockery.

Hanni is not universally disliked in Vietnam. Posts from Vietnamese netizens supporting her can also be found, and there are also people calling against baseless criticism targeting her.

However, due to the social atmosphere in Vietnam, fans have to cautious when openly expressing support for Hanni. However, there is no sign of the government or media imposing censorship on the idol.

A K-pop representative in Vietnam mentioned that NewJeans and Hanni do have supporters locally, but the situation is complex. Their popularity is substantial, but anti-fans also exist.

Source: Daum