Oh Yoanna's Mother Ends Hunger Strike After 27 Days... MBC Promises Apology and Restoration of Honor

Agreement Includes Official Apology and Honorary Employee ID
Abolition of Weathercaster Position and Transition to Regular Employment

Jang Yeonmi, the mother of MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna, who died last year after reporting workplace bullying, ended her protest after reaching a tentative agreement with the broadcasting company on the 27th day of her hunger strike.

The late Oh Yoanna. Screenshot of Oh Yoanna's Instagram page.

The civic groups Ending Credit and Workplace Gapjil 119 announced on the 5th that MBC and the bereaved family had reached a tentative agreement, and that Jang would end her hunger strike and be admitted to Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. Since September 8, Jang had been on a hunger strike in front of MBC’s headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, demanding an official apology, measures to prevent recurrence, and the restoration of her late daughter’s honor.

According to the agreement, MBC will hold a joint press conference with the bereaved family at its headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th. At the press conference, MBC will issue an official apology, present an honorary employee ID to the late Oh Yoanna, and announce measures to prevent recurrence. The memorial space at the Mapo-gu headquarters will be maintained until September 15 next year, marking the second anniversary of Oh Yoanna’s passing.

Pichamon Yopantong, Chair of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Business and Human Rights, visited the site in front of MBC in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 10th of last month, where the late weathercaster Oh Yoanna's mother was on a hunger strike, paying tribute and offering flowers in memory of the deceased. Provided by Ending Credit

MBC also agreed to abolish the existing weathercaster position, on the condition that no current weathercasters are disadvantaged, and to convert it into a regular position titled "Weather and Climate Specialist." However, this change only refers to a restructuring of the job classification system and does not include the immediate conversion of current freelance weathercasters to regular employment.

Throughout the protest, Jang repeatedly stated, "MBC did not protect my daughter from bullying because she was on a freelance contract, and she was used and discarded because she was a non-regular worker." She appealed, "To prevent another case like Oh Yoanna, the workplace anti-bullying law must be applied to all workers."

Oh Yoanna joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021 and passed away on September 15 last year. After her death, suspicions of workplace bullying emerged through the contents of her posthumously released letter. However, she was classified as a freelancer, not an employee under the Labor Standards Act, and was therefore not legally protected. The Ministry of Employment and Labor also concluded, "Bullying was recognized, but she was not classified as an employee, so the Labor Standards Act does not apply."

With this agreement, Jang will end her hunger strike, hold a memorial rite at the protest site in front of MBC on the morning of the 6th, and then move to the hospital. Ending Credit stated, "Although the bereaved family’s demands have not been fully met, we decided to accept the agreement first due to Jang’s deteriorating health."