"I Chose the Juniors..." Former MBC Weathercaster and Actress Oh Yoanna Criticizes the Incident

Appearing on YouTube:
"Are They Being Seen as Expendable?"

Kim Hye-eun, an actress and former lead weathercaster at MBC, made a candid statement regarding the allegations of workplace bullying involving the late Oh Yo-anna. She said, "The company (MBC) needs to reflect on what value it places on weathercasters and whether it views them as expendable."

On the 10th, Kim appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Jigeum Baek Ji-yeon,’ hosted by former MBC announcer Baek Ji-yeon, and said, "I was the one who selected the (weathercaster) juniors," adding, "At the interviews, the kids all wanted to be like me. They wanted to work and shoot commercials. Hearing that broke my heart. At that time, I was carrying my resignation letter in my heart."

Photo by Actor Kim Hye-eun, Instagram capture

She explained the background of her resignation, saying, "I thought about what I could do for them and decided, ‘At least I should leave gracefully,’ and ‘I should leave while people are applauding,’ so I worked hard. But after a year, I became ill due to overwork and stress, which led to my resignation."

Referring to the allegations related to Oh Yo-anna, Kim said, "I think every organization has its outcasts. It shouldn’t happen, but when people are involved, it does," and cautiously continued, "I don’t know the details behind it, but I want to share one thing I hope for MBC."

She stated, "Currently, MBC weathercasters receive salaries that are ridiculously low compared to when I worked," and added, "If I were to say one thing I hope for MBC, it’s about the value the company places on weathercasters who deliver the weather. I thought even then whether the organization views them as expendable or commercializes them like products."

Kim Hye-eun's candid statement. Screenshot from YouTube 'Jigeum Baek Ji-yeon'

Kim Hye-eun joined Cheongju MBC as an announcer in 1997 and worked as a freelance weathercaster for MBC before resigning in 2004. She later debuted as an actress and appeared in works such as Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time, and dramas like Mr. Sunshine and Itaewon Class.

Meanwhile, Oh Yo-anna (aged 28 at the time), an MBC weathercaster who passed away last September, was alleged to have suffered workplace bullying before her tragic death. Her family filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague based on her will found on her phone, call records, and messages.