Former Manager of Park Na-rae Rebuts Allegations Over Released Call Recordings

Park Na-rae's former manager has responded to allegations of 'false claims' surrounding recently released call recordings.

On the 12th, Park Na-rae's former manager, identified as A, shared their stance on the call recordings through media outlets. A claimed that after resigning in November last year, they discussed unpaid wages and severance issues with a labor attorney and received persistent requests for meetings from Park Na-rae's side. A stated that they were warned to "be cautious as it could become a legal issue" and felt pressured by the message to "cooperate to resolve the dispute quickly without further legal action." Consequently, A decided to proceed with legal action.

Regarding the call recordings recently released on YouTube, A emphasized, "Both calls that took place in the early hours of December 7 to 8, 2025, were initiated by Park Na-rae." A added, "At the time, I was at a pre-arranged gathering, and after it ended, I was informed by a third party that Park Na-rae wanted to meet me, desired a settlement, referred to me as a lover, expressed love, and mentioned Bokdori." A claimed to have been primarily responsible for the care and management of Park Na-rae's pet dog, Bokdori, and asserted that the conversation about Bokdori was initiated by Park Na-rae's side.

A further stated that after receiving a message from Park Na-rae saying "everything has been settled," they went to Park Na-rae's residence with a designer. A clarified, "During the approximately three-hour meeting in the early morning, there was no discussion related to legal settlements, agreement contents, amounts, lawsuits, withdrawals, or provisional seizures." A also refuted claims made by Park Na-rae's side through the media that "I proposed a settlement amount of 500 million won that morning," stating, "The only mention of an amount was Park Na-rae expressing dissatisfaction with her lawyer."

Additionally, A reported that Park Na-rae repeatedly made emotional remarks, such as "It was good back then," "I want to go back to that time," and "I want to work together again." A also claimed that Park Na-rae repeatedly suggested drinking or going to a karaoke bar, trying to prevent them from leaving.

Regarding Park Na-rae's post on the 8th, stating that "misunderstandings with former managers have been resolved," A countered, "This is not true." A revealed that on the same day, they consulted with a lawyer and delivered a formal settlement agreement to Park Na-rae's lawyer. A stated, "The agreement did not include any amount, only a request for an apology and acknowledgment of false reports about us by Park Na-rae." Despite this, Park Na-rae sent a message asking, "What do you need besides money?" Ultimately, the negotiations broke down, and Park Na-rae's side also communicated their intention to proceed with legal action.

A also addressed issues related to social insurance and salary. A stated, "Since 2015, I have been active as the representative of an entertainment corporation and received normal social insurance coverage at my previous agency, JDB." A added, "While working with Park Na-rae, I consistently requested social insurance enrollment with the team leader manager." A emphasized, "Reports suggesting that I did not want social insurance coverage are completely false." A also explained that their salary was decided without their consent.

A addressed the controversy over their career, stating, "The media portrays me as an inexperienced new manager, but this is not true." A claimed, "As of 2026, I have over 10 years of experience running a corporation, discovering unknown trainees, debuting them, producing broadcasts, world tours, and albums." A added, "When I joined JDB, I had only managed singers and actors, so I joined with a beginner's salary to learn about variety shows." A stated, "I received a salary of about 1.7 million won during the probation period and over 2 million won afterward, but this does not erase my career."

A expressed frustration, stating, "It is very regrettable and infuriating to have to disclose all these facts," and vowed to "clarify false reports and distorted claims through legal procedures." A reiterated, "After resigning, Park Na-rae and her mother repeatedly requested a settlement, and contact continued until last week." A emphasized, "There was never any legal settlement during or after the early morning meeting on December 8."

Regarding allegations of power abuse by former managers, A criticized the hair salon owner who stated on JTBC's 'Incident Chief' that "there was no coercion," saying, "I understand the position of needing to continue working with celebrities, but lying is unacceptable."

Meanwhile, on the 10th, a YouTube channel released the call recordings between Park Na-rae and A. The recordings were made in the early morning of the day Park Na-rae posted a statement saying "misunderstandings with former managers have been resolved." The recordings captured A sobbing, saying, "I don't know why it came to this," and "I didn't want it to go this far." The conversation continued with inquiries about the pet dog and health, and Park Na-rae suggested meeting by asking, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Subsequently, it was reported that the two discussed settlement-related matters at Park Na-rae's residence. According to released messages, Park Na-rae said, "The atmosphere is very different from what we talked about," and "I thought we resolved misunderstandings and grudges. If there's anything you want, I want to coordinate well and finish positively." However, A expressed a desire for "thorough investigation and legal resolution," stating, "I don't want emotional responses," and declared the end of the settlement discussions.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr