MBC Terminates Contract with Weathercaster Accused of Harassing Late Oh Yoanna

Contract Terminated with One Identified Perpetrator...
No Action Taken Against the Other Three

MBC announced that it has terminated its contract with weathercaster A, who was identified as a perpetrator of workplace harassment against the late Oh Yoanna, who passed away in September last year. However, the company did not take separate action against the other three weathercasters previously identified by the bereaved family.

On May 21, MBC stated that it had terminated its contract with weathercaster A on May 20. This action followed the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s announcement of the results of a special labor inspection on May 19, which concluded that harassment against the deceased had occurred. The ministry disclosed conversations between the deceased and the perpetrator as examples of harassment that could hardly be justified by work necessity.

The late Oh Yoanna, MBC weathercaster. Oh Yoanna Instagram

According to the ministry, after joining the company in 2021, the deceased received frequent guidance and advice from senior colleagues as part of her job. The ministry determined that, in this process, actions exceeding mere guidance or advice were repeatedly committed, which, by social standards, could not be considered necessary for work. It was found that unnecessary remarks stemming from personal feelings, such as seniors making disparaging comments about the deceased in public settings, occurred multiple times.

The ministry explained, "After comprehensively considering the significant emotional gap felt between juniors and seniors regarding guidance and advice, the fact that the deceased continuously expressed psychological distress to close acquaintances, and that she included specific details in her will, we determined that these actions constituted harassment."

In response, MBC stated, "We offer our condolences to Oh Yoanna and extend our deepest sympathies to her family. We take the results of the ministry's special labor inspection with utmost seriousness. We will do our best to make the prevention of recurrence, improvement of organizational culture, and compliance with labor laws our top management priorities."

The deceased worked as a weathercaster at MBC but took her own life in September last year after suffering from workplace harassment. The bereaved family reportedly discovered a will on her mobile phone stating that she had been harassed at work by four senior colleagues. After the will was made public by the media, the issue sparked controversy.