Former People Power Party lawmaker You Seung-min appeared on MBC Radio and urged the media to report on the workplace bullying allegations surrounding the late MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna.
On the broadcast of MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on the 3rd, You Seung-min discussed the tariff war initiated by Trump. At the end of the broadcast, he asked the anchor (Kim Jong-bae), "Can I ask you one thing? You are also a freelancer, right? There was an incident involving MBC freelancers. I criticized it a lot, but why isn't MBC properly reporting or investigating it? There must be many freelancers working at MBC," questioning why the allegations of workplace bullying surrounding Oh Yoanna were not being reported.
In response, host Kim Jong-bae said, "Since I am also a freelancer, from an observer's perspective, what MBC needs to present is not a report but a stance," and added, "To present a stance, a thorough investigation into the facts must precede it."
On the 28th of last month, MBC stated, "The deceased had never reported her grievances to the responsible department or the management she worked with while working as a freelancer," and added, "If the bereaved family requests a fact-finding investigation based on a newly discovered will, MBC is prepared to commence an investigation as soon as possible." They also expressed concern about "the movements of forces approaching this issue as if they had seized an opportunity to 'shake MBC' without knowing the exact facts."
You Seung-min pointed this out, saying, "Did you know that a stance was released before the investigation? It was strange that MBC said, 'We can conduct an investigation if the bereaved family requests it,' but to express it as 'a movement to shake MBC' surprised me, and I criticized it. I am speaking as someone who has affection for MBC. When such incidents occur, I hope MBC will properly investigate while considering the feelings of the bereaved family and the victims."
Kim Jong-bae acknowledged, "In principle, that is a valid point," but added, "Since they have formed a fact-finding committee, wouldn't they release a stance once the results come out?" You Seung-min replied, "No one is speaking properly, so I brought up an uncomfortable topic."
Meanwhile, the deceased joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021. She gained recognition by appearing on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" in 2022, but suddenly passed away in September of last year. The news of her death was belatedly reported in December of last year.
Subsequently, on the 27th of last month, a 17-page will was discovered on the deceased's mobile phone, leading to allegations 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 of last year.
As the incident gained significant attention, MBC issued an official statement on the 31st of last month, stating, "To clarify the cause and truth of the late Oh Yoanna's death, we have decided to form a fact-finding committee chaired by an external expert," and added, "To ensure a fair and objective investigation, the committee will include multiple external experts, including legal professionals, and heads of internal departments related to personnel grievances will also participate as practical committee members to support an accurate investigation." The investigation is set to begin in earnest this week.
In relation to this, the police have also launched an investigation. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul has received a public complaint requesting an investigation into the incident and has begun preliminary inquiries.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
