On the 28th, MBC released a statement regarding allegations that the late Oh Yoanna, an MBC weathercaster who passed away in September last year, suffered workplace harassment. MBC stated that they would launch an investigation only if it was requested by her family.
In the official statement, MBC said, “MBC currently does not have the will that was recently confirmed to be written by the late Oh Yoanna,” and added, “If her family requests an investigation based on the will that was recently discovered, MBC is prepared to begin an investigation in the shortest possible time.”
The previous day, Maeil Newspaper reported that the late weathercaster wrote a 17-page (2,750-character) will in the memo app on her phone, where she wrote in details the workplace harassment she experienced caused by two colleagues who are her seniors, before taking her own life.
The late Oh Yoanna, who became an MBC weathercaster in May 2021, reportedly became a target of workplace harassment starting in March the following year. Records showing that she informed several MBC officials about the harassment before her death, but it was reported that MBC did not conduct any investigations even after she passed away.
Regarding this matter, MBC stated, “The late Oh Yoanna, while working as a freelancer, never informed the relevant department or any managerial supervisors she worked with about her hardships.” They added, “If she had informed any MBC personnel about the issues, we ask that you let us know who that person is.”
MBC further stated, “If she had officially reported her hardships to the company at the time, or even unofficially informed responsible managers about her suffering in any way, the company would have naturally conducted an investigation.”
Oh Yoanna passed away in September last year at the age of 28. At the time, the cause of her death was not disclosed.
In this context, the People Power Party’s Media Special Committee released a statement, saying, “MBC is avoiding responsibility by claiming that the late Oh Yoanna never reported her hardships to the department related or any managerial supervisors and stating that they will conduct an investigation only if her family requests it. This clearly shows that MBC issued a statement reluctantly only because it became controversial.”
The committee added, “The People Power Party will uncover the truth behind this tragic incident and hold those responsible legally and morally accountable.”
