Former MBC weathercaster Bae Soo-yeon mourned the late Oh Yoo-anna.
On the 2nd, Bae Soo-yeon posted on SNS, "My heart is so painful," and added, "I really don't know what to say about such a tragic event happening at MBC, especially in the weather team where I used to work."
She continued, "I can only feel devastated by the news that comes in every day. It was the same when I left MBC. No one paid any attention to my voice as a mere freelance weathercaster according to their standards. MBC. Newsroom. Weather team. It was a job and workplace I loved so much, but I definitely learned about the darker side of that place back then."
Bae Soo-yeon expressed, "I thought things would have changed a bit by now, but how can it still be this unchanged... I sincerely hope that a thorough investigation is conducted so that no one suffers injustice, and I wish for the truth to be revealed," adding, "I hope my junior Oh Yoo-anna is not in pain there... If only we could have met just once... I pray for the soul of the deceased."
The deceased joined MBC as a public recruitment weathercaster in 2021. She gained recognition after appearing on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" in 2022, but she suddenly passed away in September last year. The news of her death was belatedly reported in December last year.
Subsequently, on the 27th of last month, a 17-page handwritten letter was found on the deceased's mobile phone, raising suspicions of workplace bullying. The family filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague suspected of workplace bullying at the Seoul Central District Court in December last year.
MBC stated on the 28th of last month, "The deceased never reported her grievances to the responsible department or the management personnel she worked with while working as a freelancer," and added, "If the family requests fact-checking based on the newly discovered letter, MBC is prepared to start an investigation as soon as possible." However, as the controversy grew, they changed their stance on the 31st, stating, "We have decided to form an investigation committee led by external experts to determine the cause and truth behind the death of the late Oh Yoo-anna."
Meanwhile, the situation is escalating as messages supporting the claim that the deceased was bullied at work, as well as recordings of her complaints about workplace bullying to MBC officials during her lifetime, have come to light.
※ If you or someone around you is experiencing difficult feelings such as depression, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling through the suicide prevention hotline ☎109 or the SNS counseling service Madlen (a friend who listens to your heart).
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
