Following allegations that the late MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna, who passed away on September 15 last year, was a victim of 'workplace bullying', MBC has been additionally reported for violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
On the 3rd, a post was published on the online community DC Inside stating that MBC was reported for violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act in relation to the allegations of workplace bullying against Oh Yoanna.
The author revealed that after reporting the late victim's workplace bullying case to the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor last month, they additionally reported MBC President Ahn Hyung-jun, department heads, and colleagues for evidence destruction, negligent homicide, and violations of the Stalking Punishment Act, stating, “On the 3rd, I requested an additional investigation regarding President Ahn Hyung-jun's violation of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.”
Additionally, on the 3rd, the author certified the submission of a complaint to the Mapo Police Station of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency through the National Petition.
The author pointed out that recent reports indicated the deceased had complained about four internal company officials but that appropriate protective measures were not taken, and that it was confirmed that MBC's official reporting procedures were not effectively functioning. They also noted that there was controversy over the response process, including the failure to post an obituary after the incident, stating, “This matter goes beyond simple workplace bullying and raises the possibility of a violation of the management's duty to ensure safety and health, necessitating a thorough legal review and investigation regarding the application of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.”
Despite MBC initiating its own investigation under the direction of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the author argued that “if an institution with allegations of wrongdoing conducts its own investigation, there is a possibility of fairness issues arising,” and that “if the police do not conduct an independent investigation, there is a risk that records related to the case (reports, emails, conversation logs, etc.) may not be properly preserved, making it difficult to secure objective evidence.”
They further argued that a thorough investigation should be conducted considering whether ▲ MBC management recognized workplace bullying but did not take protective measures, ▲ the causal relationship between the deceased's extreme choice and the work environment, ▲ there were circumstances indicating an attempt to downplay or conceal the incident, such as MBC not posting an official obituary after the death, ▲ whether the MBC president should bear legal responsibility as a manager under the Serious Accident Punishment Act, ▲ whether they fulfilled their obligation to establish and implement measures to prevent recurrence under Article 4, Item 2 of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, and ▲ whether they went through procedures to listen to and reflect employees' opinions as per Article 4, Item 7 of the Enforcement Decree of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
Meanwhile, the deceased joined MBC as a weathercaster through a public recruitment in 2021. She gained recognition after appearing on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' in 2022 but 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 discovered on the deceased's mobile phone, raising suspicions of workplace bullying. The bereaved family filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague who appeared to have engaged in workplace bullying at the Seoul Central District Court in December last year.
MBC stated on the 28th of last month, “The deceased had never informed her department or the management responsible for her of her difficulties while working as a freelancer,” and added, “If the bereaved family requests fact verification based on the newly discovered letter, MBC is prepared to initiate an investigation into the truth as soon as possible.” However, as the controversy grew, on the 31st of last month, they changed their stance and announced that they would form a fact-finding committee chaired by an external expert to clarify the cause and truth of the late Oh Yoanna's death.
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[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
