A public press conference was held on the 15th at the Golden Mouse Hall in the MBC Broadcasting Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Present at the event were MBC President Ahn Hyung-joon and the family of the late Oh Yoanna.
President Ahn expressed his condolences, stating, "I offer my deepest sympathies for the untimely passing of Oh Yoanna. I sincerely extend my condolences and apologies to her mother and family, who have endured unimaginable sorrow."
He further added, "As a responsible public broadcaster, MBC will continuously strive to create a workplace culture of mutual respect and consideration."
Oh Yoanna left a note in September last year, alleging workplace harassment before her death. Four MBC weathercasters were identified as perpetrators, and the family filed a civil lawsuit against one of them.
On May 18, the Ministry of Employment and Labor concluded that there were acts that could be considered harassment in Oh Yoanna's case. However, they stated that she was not recognized as a worker under the Labor Standards Act, and thus the workplace harassment regulations did not apply.
MBC formed a committee to investigate the matter and announced the re-contracting of weathercasters Kim Ga-young, Choi Ah-ri, and Lee Hyun-seung, excluding the individual known to have led the harassment.
Following Oh Yoanna's death, her family has consistently demanded an official apology from MBC, measures to prevent recurrence, the conversion of weathercasters to permanent positions, and a comprehensive survey of freelance workers. However, expressing dissatisfaction with MBC's response, the family began a hunger strike last month, which was suspended after 27 days following a tentative agreement.
Below is the full apology statement from MBC President Ahn Hyung-joon:
Hello, I am Ahn Hyung-joon, President of MBC.
First, I offer my condolences for the untimely passing of Oh Yoanna.
I sincerely extend my condolences and apologies to her mother and family, who have endured unimaginable sorrow.
Today's agreement is also MBC's commitment to ensuring that such a tragic event never happens again.
In April, MBC established a new position dedicated to mutual cooperation, providing a channel to address grievances and conflicts for all those working at MBC, including freelancers. We also regularly conduct training to prevent workplace harassment and unfair treatment.
As a responsible public broadcaster, MBC will continuously strive to create a workplace culture of mutual respect and consideration.
Once again, I wish for the peace of Oh Yoanna's soul.
Reporter Seyoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr