Laundry orders and messages at midnight... 'Sunbae' show host power abuse scandal

Afraid of 'Peer Evaluation,' Unable to Raise Issues
Company: "Two Abusive Show Hosts Suspended"

Reports have emerged that hosts of a famous home shopping channel have habitually engaged in 'gapjil' (abuse of power) and verbal abuse towards their juniors.

Channel A reported on the 7th that in a group chat involving hosts of a well-known home shopping channel, a form of strict hierarchical discipline rarely seen even in the military these days was taking place between seniors and juniors. In this chat room, senior hosts ordered juniors to "do the laundry" because the blankets in the break room were dirty, and also demanded that they organize and submit year-end tax settlement methods.

Reconstructed conversation content posted in the group chat of famous home shopping channel show hosts
[Image source=Channel A news capture]

Even late at night close to midnight, they insisted that "KakaoTalk messages are an extension of company work, so always check messages on weekends," and forced juniors to write birthday congratulatory messages for seniors. When one junior posted a birthday message, seniors nitpicked every detail, criticizing that "the emoticons are strange" and "write it more politely."

Company insiders agreed that excessive 'seniority culture' is causing harm to junior hosts. A company official, Mr. A, told Channel A, "Insulting juniors is basic, and there is a lot of harsh language," adding, "You just have to obey." He also revealed, "Many seniors harshly scold juniors if they are even slightly displeased."

The reason junior hosts cannot raise issues with the company despite unreasonable demands from seniors is due to 'peer evaluations.' Hosts must renew their contracts every 2 to 3 years, and poor peer evaluations can negatively affect contract renewals.

The home shopping company confirmed these issues through internal reports and launched an investigation last month. As a result, two hosts found to have verbally abused juniors have been suspended from appearances. The company is also considering terminating their contracts. The company stated, "We are currently obtaining pledges from affiliated hosts that if any gapjil behavior is detected, their contracts may be terminated."