"No Labor Exploitation... The Teacher Is Truly a Good Person"
Lee Soon-jae "I Will Hold a Press Conference on July 2 to Explain"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae (85), who has been embroiled in controversy over allegations that his wife engaged in 'gapjil' (abuse of power) toward a former manager, is facing public criticism. Meanwhile, another manager who worked with him has come forward to refute the gapjil scandal, asserting that actor Lee Soon-jae does not possess the kind of character that would be involved in such controversy.
On the 30th, Baek, who worked as Lee Soon-jae's former manager, posted a lengthy message on his social networking service (SNS), stating, "I worked as Mr. Lee Soon-jae's manager for one year and six months until April of this year," and added, "I was anxious because I think I am the former manager mentioned at the end of the SBS 8 o'clock news interview, who was an aspiring actor, so I am posting this."
Baek said, "I did not give such an interview, and I do not know if there were any other managers who were aspiring actors," and added, "I gained valuable experience and learning while working as Mr. Lee Soon-jae's manager."
He continued, "Since only two elderly people were living there, there were parts where help was needed," and explained, "They could not order online at all, so I ordered necessary items for them and received cash deposits, and naturally, I moved bottled water and heavy items. It is also true that I occasionally took care of recycling while going to and from the house."
He added, "But I did not think of this as labor exploitation. I wanted to help with the things that a young person like me could assist with in a place where only two elderly people lived."
He further explained, "It seems that the current manager was asked to do personal tasks, and I think this is partly my fault. I helped by saying, 'Please let me know if you need anything,' and I think those were probably the kinds of things."
He also said, "I liked working with the teacher, and I felt very sorry to quit, but I quit because an opportunity came to pursue my dream of becoming an actor," and emphasized, "After I quit, the teacher asked me to order a medicine and said he would deposit the money, but the deposit was too much, so when I asked by phone, he said, 'You worked hard all this time,' and encouraged me to prepare diligently."
In conclusion, he clarified the suspicion by saying, "Mr. Lee Soon-jae is not someone who would treat anyone like a servant or treat them unfairly. He is blunt but tried not to be a nuisance to anyone and worked hard to be a role model," and added, "He is truly a good person."
Earlier, on the 29th, SBS '8 News' reported that Kim, a manager of veteran actor A, lived like a servant doing all the menial tasks for A's family during the two months he worked.
According to the report, Kim claimed that his duties were not managerial but rather miscellaneous errands ordered by A's wife, including taking out the trash for A's household.
Kim also claimed that he was verbally abused by A's wife because she was dissatisfied with how he handled tasks.
In particular, Kim stated that during the two months, including weekends, he only had five days off, worked more than 55 hours per week on average, but his entire salary was just the basic pay of 1.8 million won per month.
In response to the gapjil controversy, Lee Soon-jae's side stated, "The SBS '8 News' report is biased and one-sided," and announced that they would hold a press conference on July 2 to explain the parts they feel are unfair.
Regarding this, Lee Soon-jae told Sports Chosun on the same day, "It is true that my wife asked for personal favors about three times during the two months of work, but I was aware of this and warned my wife," and added, "I also apologized to Kim about that part."
Furthermore, Lee Soon-jae expressed his grievance, saying, "The report used the term 'servant life,' which is absurd," and rebutted, "I am in my mid-80s and have been in the industry for over 60 years. In today's world, are you saying I treated my manager like a servant?"
He continued, "Kim once complained to me about the four major insurances and wage issues, but all matters regarding the manager's employment and treatment are handled by the academy, so I told him to 'listen to Kim's side' at the academy," and said, "If there are any mistakes, I can apologize, but I will hold a press conference on July 2 to clarify the exaggerated parts."
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