Oh Yoanna, a former MBC weathercaster who passed away on September 15 last year, has been accused of being a victim of "workplace bullying," leading to reports against MBC and her colleagues to the police and the Ministry of Labor.
On the 29th, a post urging thorough investigation and severe punishment regarding the allegations of workplace bullying against Oh Yoanna was posted on the online community DC Inside.
The author introduced themselves as a "citizen who reports the misconduct of celebrities and politicians or files complaints with administrative agencies and local governments through the National Complaint Center" and stated, "I inform you that I reported to the police and the Ministry of Labor on the 28th regarding the 'workplace bullying case' of the late Oh Yoanna."
The author also verified the submission of the complaint to the Seoul Mapo Police Station and the Ministry of Labor through the National Complaint Center on the 28th. The complaint disclosed by the author lists MBC, the department head, and two fellow weathercasters identified as perpetrators as defendants.
Citing a report from the Daily Newspaper on the 27th, the author claimed, "The late Oh Yoanna (hereinafter referred to as 'the deceased') was revealed to have been subjected to continuous workplace bullying by two fellow weathercasters while working at MBC. The deceased experienced a situation where they were held responsible for the mistakes of fellow weathercasters and suffered mental distress from being unjustly called back to the company after work. This bullying is presumed to have occurred repeatedly."
The author added, "There are indications that the deceased informed four MBC officials about the victimization, and specific circumstances related to the deceased's complaints have been confirmed through evidence disclosed by the bereaved family (conversation records, transcripts, letters, etc.). However, MBC stated that 'the deceased never informed the responsible department (Human Resources Team of the Management Support Department, Clean Center of the Audit Department) or the management officials they worked with about their grievances' and did not take appropriate action even after the incident occurred," and noted, "Since MBC's explanation conflicts with the indications that the deceased informed officials about the victimization, this suggests that the 'internal reporting system' did not function properly or that there were issues in the 'reporting process.'
The author also mentioned Article 76-3 of the Labor Standards Act (Measures when workplace bullying occurs), which states, "If an employer receives a report or becomes aware of workplace bullying, they must promptly conduct an objective investigation to confirm the facts regarding the parties involved." They pointed out, "This indicates that even if the victim does not request it, the employer must confirm whether workplace bullying occurred and implement necessary protective measures." They further argued, "In light of this legal provision, it can be assessed that the employer has neglected their investigative duty. This suggests that MBC has not sufficiently fulfilled its legal obligations regarding the occurrence of workplace bullying."
The author requested an investigation into MBC for neglecting to report workplace bullying and failing to fulfill their investigative duties, and for the department head regarding the suspicion of indifference after recognizing the bullying and the manager's reporting obligations. They also urged an investigation into the two fellow weathercasters identified as perpetrators of workplace bullying, as their continuous bullying behavior is likely to fall under Article 76-2 of the Labor Standards Act (Prohibition of Workplace Bullying).
The author emphasized, "This incident should not only address the injustice faced by an individual but also serve as an important opportunity to examine the employer's 'legal responsibilities' and 'fulfillment of obligations' regarding the issue of 'workplace bullying.' They requested that the police and the Ministry of Labor closely cooperate to clarify the facts of the case and clearly define the legal responsibilities regarding workplace bullying."
Meanwhile, the deceased passed the MBC weathercaster exam in May 2021 and gained recognition by appearing on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block" in 2022. The deceased passed away at the age of 28 last September, and this fact was belatedly reported in December last year.
On the 27th, the Daily Newspaper reported, "A 2,750-character letter was found on Oh Yoanna's phone, which had been unlocked. The letter contained complaints about workplace bullying received from two specific weathercasters," raising suspicions that the deceased's death was due to workplace bullying.
In response, MBC stated, "The deceased never informed the responsible department or the management officials they worked with about their grievances 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 facts as soon as possible."
The bereaved family stated on the 30th, "We will not request fact verification from MBC," and expressed, "We hope they will conduct their own investigation and broadcast a sincere apology." They also filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague who appears to have engaged in workplace bullying at the Seoul Central District Court last December.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
Full text of the complainant's statement
The late Oh Yoanna's workplace bullying case: Urging thorough investigation and severe punishment
On January 28, 2025, the complainant submitted a complaint regarding the late Oh Yoanna's workplace bullying case to the Seoul Mapo Police Station and the Ministry of Labor.
The complainant previously reported on the 6th, the expiration date of President Yoon Seok-yeol's first arrest warrant execution, through a "112 text report," urging, "The police special forces should take measures to deploy helicopters to enter the presidential residence." This is unrelated to MBC's claim in their press release about "the activities of forces approaching to shake MBC," and I clarify this to express the complainant's neutral position.
According to a report by the Daily Newspaper on the 27th, the late Oh Yoanna (hereinafter referred to as 'the deceased') was revealed to have been subjected to continuous workplace bullying by two fellow weathercasters while working at MBC. The deceased experienced a situation where they were held responsible for the mistakes of fellow weathercasters and suffered mental distress from being unjustly called back to the company after work. This bullying is presumed to have occurred repeatedly.
The deceased informed four MBC officials about the victimization, and specific circumstances related to the deceased's complaints have been confirmed through evidence disclosed by the bereaved family (conversation records, transcripts, letters, etc.). However, MBC stated that "the deceased never informed the responsible department (Human Resources Team of the Management Support Department, Clean Center of the Audit Department) or the management officials they worked with about their grievances," and did not take appropriate action even after the incident occurred.
Since MBC's explanation conflicts with the indications that the deceased informed officials about the victimization, this suggests that the 'internal reporting system' did not function properly or that there were issues in the 'reporting process.'
① Legal Issues: Employer's Duty to Investigate and MBC's Passive Attitude
According to Article 76-3 of the Labor Standards Act (Measures when workplace bullying occurs), employers have an obligation to promptly conduct an objective and fair investigation when they receive a report or become aware of workplace bullying. This specifies that even if the victim does not request it, the employer must confirm whether workplace bullying occurred and implement necessary protective measures.
MBC has shown an attitude that "if the bereaved family requests fact verification based on the newly discovered letter, MBC is prepared to initiate an investigation into the facts as soon as possible." However, in light of this legal provision, it can be assessed that this neglects the employer's duty to investigate. This suggests that MBC has not sufficiently fulfilled its legal obligations regarding the occurrence of workplace bullying.
② Allegations: Responsibilities of Defendants 1-3
In the complaint, the complainant specified the responsibilities of the three defendants, including MBC's organization and responsible persons, as follows.
A. Defendant 1 (MBC)
∙ Neglecting workplace bullying reports and failing to fulfill investigative duties: MBC is accused of having received reports of workplace bullying but failing to investigate or taking appropriate action. In particular, if the report was not communicated, this indicates a 'failure of the internal reporting system,' and the lack of 'victim protection measures' could be seen as a violation of Article 76-3 of the Labor Standards Act (Obligation to take measures when workplace bullying occurs).
∙ Possibility of negligent homicide: There are allegations that MBC neglected its 'duty of care' that indirectly influenced the deceased's extreme choice, which could invoke Article 268 of the Criminal Act (Negligent homicide or serious negligence leading to death).
B. Defendant 2 (Department Head)
∙ Allegations of indifference after recognizing bullying: The department head is accused of having recognized the deceased's bullying victimization but failing to take appropriate action. Failure to fulfill the duty of care as a manager could lead to liability under the Labor Standards Act and the Criminal Act.
∙ Manager's reporting obligation: If a manager recognizes the victimization but fails to report it, this could lead to organizational neglect, and such negligence directly results in the absence of follow-up measures.
C. Defendant 3 (Two fellow weathercasters)
∙ Continuous bullying behavior: There are indications that the deceased was subjected to continuous bullying by fellow weathercasters. Specifically, shifting responsibility for work mistakes, calling back after work, and repeated criticisms are evaluated as clear acts of workplace bullying, likely violating Article 76-2 of the Labor Standards Act (Prohibition of Workplace Bullying).
③ Importance of the Case and Social Significance
This case will serve as an important opportunity to raise awareness about preventing workplace bullying and the legal and social responsibilities of employers. MBC has emphasized its responsibility as a public broadcaster through critical reporting on past workplace bullying cases. However, it has been revealed that they neglected investigations and protective measures regarding internal issues, significantly damaging their credibility as a public broadcaster.
Therefore, the complainant requested that "to resolve the deceased's injustice and to ensure that similar incidents do not recur, thorough investigation and severe punishment should be carried out to achieve justice," urging active cooperation from the police and the Ministry of Labor.
④ Conclusion
This case should not only address the injustice faced by an individual but also serve as an important opportunity to examine the employer's 'legal responsibilities' and 'fulfillment of obligations' regarding the issue of 'workplace bullying.'
MBC has a legal obligation to conduct immediate and thorough investigations and implement victim protection measures regarding workplace bullying reports under Article 76-3 of the Labor Standards Act. However, there are allegations that these obligations were not sufficiently fulfilled in this case, necessitating a thorough review of the 'internal response system' and 'compliance with legal procedures.'
Therefore, the complainant requests that the police and the Ministry of Labor closely cooperate to clarify the facts of the case and clearly define the legal responsibilities regarding workplace bullying. Furthermore, it should serve as an opportunity to establish legal and institutional improvements to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents and effectively strengthen the system for protecting victims and preventing workplace bullying.
