Despite Kang Hyung-wook's Explanation, All Employees Claim "Power Abuse and Verbal Abuse"... Heading to Court?

Kang Hyung-wook Clarifies All Allegations Raised on YouTube
Hints at Legal Battles with Former Employees... "Preparing for Lawsuits"
"Hated Kang but Not His Son," Rebuttal Again

Dog trainer and broadcaster Kang Hyeong-wook has refuted the controversies surrounding him, including allegations of power abuse and verbal abuse. In response, former employees who raised these suspicions have issued counter-rebuttals, leading to a sharp confrontation between the two sides.

Kang Hyung-wook and his wife explaining the allegations raised by all employees.
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Kang Hyung-wook's Bodeum TV']

On the 26th, JoongAng Ilbo reported that Kang, who is the CEO of Bodeum Company, is preparing legal actions such as criminal complaints with lawyer Park Hoon, who volunteered to provide free legal representation for former employees, and other lawyer organizations. However, the lawyer organizations mentioned in the article denied the claims. They countered again through presentations and documents related to Kang and his wife’s YouTube explanation video, stating that surveillance via CCTV, verbal abuse, insults, and messenger monitoring of employees were all true. Earlier, on the 25th, lawyer Park posted on his social media, saying, "Having CCTV monitor the workspace is a violation of human dignity," and volunteered to provide free legal representation.

The former employees claimed, "From 2014 to 2015, there was one CCTV in a villa in Jamwon-dong, Seoul, and from 2015 to 2017, there were nine cameras in the 7th-floor office in Jamwon-dong building," adding, "If the purpose was theft prevention or identifying outsiders, CCTV should have been installed at the entrance, but the 7th-floor office had CCTV for surveillance, while the entrance, where outgoing packages were piled, had a fake CCTV that had been there for a long time."

They also reiterated that Kang verbally abused employees. Former employee A said, "I heard Kang shouting for over 20 minutes in the next room, telling a trainer, 'Crawl out. You’re not even worth breathing,'" and added, "There are also some audio recordings related to the verbal abuse." Former employee B revealed, "During a session where employees were questioned about mistakes unrelated to work, Director Susan asked, 'It must feel like hell every day; what are your future plans?'" and added, "Many employees were gaslighted into believing they deserved the verbal abuse."

Regarding allegations of messenger monitoring and power abuse by Kang’s wife, Director Susan Ye-hee Elder, they countered, "Misandry was not initiated by female employees but by Kang himself, who often said things like 'Women should have many children.' During messenger conversations, a male employee used derogatory terms like 'Hannam' (a derogatory term for Korean men), which female employees then agreed with and accepted." They continued, "The explanation that Kang’s son was cursed at and that Kang lost his mind is nonsense," adding, "Although Kang hated the employees, he never hated his son. The explanation video was not a clarification but a witch hunt against the employees who raised the issues. It seems wrong to expect an apology even now."

Kang Hyung-wook and his wife explaining the allegations raised by all employees.
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Kang Hyung-wook's Bodeum TV']

Meanwhile, on the 18th, power abuse controversies erupted as reviews from former Bodeum Company employees spread across online communities and various social media platforms. Former employees who appeared on multiple media outlets claimed, "We received Spam in dog waste bags as holiday gifts," "The deceased dog 'Leo' was abused," "We were paid only 9,670 won," "Employees were trained in waste management," and "Verbal abuse and insults were rampant among employees."

In response, Kang actively addressed the issues through his personal YouTube channel, 'Kang Hyeong-wook’s Bodeum TV.' Kang and his wife denied all allegations so far, including CCTV and messenger monitoring, as well as suspicions that Kang’s wife is affiliated with the Unification Church. However, Kang admitted to strictly disciplining employees, saying, "I was sensitive, got angry, and used harsh language because I wanted to teach diligently," and "I didn’t realize those actions could leave scars. I want to apologize." He added, "There are many unfounded rumors, slanders, and falsehoods. I want to ask those who are spreading them to stop," and stated, "If necessary, I plan to take legal action to protect the hardworking employees and trainers."