Lee Jin-sook, the chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, has expressed her stance on the death of MBC weathercaster, the late Oh Yoanna.
During a full commission meeting held at the Government Complex in Gwacheon on the 12th, she stated, "I pray for the soul of the late Oh Yoanna, a former weathercaster at MBC. I also extend my condolences to the bereaved family who must be experiencing unimaginable pain." She added, "Workplace bullying is a form of violence that cannot be justified by any words. Violence by the majority against the minority, and violence by the strong against the weak, is a despicable form of violence that our society cannot and should not tolerate."
She further remarked, "Moreover, the fact that such violence occurred in a public broadcasting company is even more shocking," and promised, "The Korea Communications Commission will examine the shortcomings of related systems and encourage improvements so that anyone working in broadcasting and telecommunications can perform their roles without discrimination, and we will do our utmost to prevent such unfortunate incidents from happening again."
Additionally, she mentioned, "In relation to this incident, Kwon Tae-seon, the chairman of the Korea Broadcasting System Promotion Corporation, the major shareholder of MBC, has called for a thorough investigation and stated that he will demand improvements in the working conditions of freelancers at MBC, so we will watch the results."
The late Oh Yoanna joined MBC as a weathercaster through a public recruitment in 2021 and suddenly passed away last September. The news of her death was belatedly reported three months later in December. Subsequently, on the 27th of last month, a 17-page suicide note was discovered on her mobile phone, raising suspicions of workplace bullying. The bereaved family has filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague who appears to have engaged in workplace bullying at the Seoul Central District Court last December.
Currently, MBC has organized a fact-finding committee and has begun its investigation. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul has also received related complaints and is verifying the facts.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
