The repercussions from the accusations of harassment in the workplace against the meteorologist of the deceased MBC Oh Youna, who passed away in September last year, continue to take place. The CEO of MBC An Hyeong Jun and colleagues of the deceased meteorologist have been reported.
Citizen presents the complaint for investigations on MBC officials
On January 31, a citizen (person a) presented a complaint. The complaint asked for an investigation into the CEO of MBC An Hyeong Jun, Department and colleagues of the deceased meteorologist. The accusations included helping the destruction of the tests, professional negligence and violation of the law on stalking.
The person A claimed that the colleagues of the meteorologist may have violated the law on stalking. This was through repeated negative and contacts after work, which contributed to his death. They also noticed that a group chat between some colleagues may have had a negative impact on his mental health.
Person a he mentioned the last letter of the meteorologist, suggesting that harassment in the workplace contributed to his suicide. They also stressed that MBC had not published a obituary, raising suspicions of concealment of the tests.
In addition, they asked for an investigation into the inability of the head of the department to face harassment. They urged an in -depth investigation on the potential criminal liability for harassment and its role in the tragedy.
The impact of harassment in the workplace on Oh Yoanna
Oh Youna joined Mbc as a Freelance meteorologist in 2021. The controversy intensified after a letter he left behind was made public on January 27. The circumstances of his death, which took place in September last year, were initially unclear.
The letter revealed that some colleagues, called B and C, harassed it with declarations such as “Your lack of ability could lead to dissolving the entire team of meteorology” AND “Your attitude towards your work and performance is problematic and there is no reason for you to stay in the MBC news department”, And they also prevented her from leaving after work.
The legal actions of the family and the response of MBC
The family of the deceased meteorologist has also discovered audio recordings and mobile messaging conversations that include the victim who reports harassment to MBC officials before his death. On January 23, they filed a cause for damage against some of his colleagues for harassment in the workplace at the central district court of Seoul.
In response, MBC issued a statement on January 28, supporting, “The deceased has never communicated his grievances to the Department or any manager”, and added, “If the family requires a factual investigation, MBC will begin an investigation as quickly as possible.” The company also expressed concern, “We are worried about the forces that try to destabilize MBC by facing this problem from a political perspective”.
Here is the complete text of the declaration of the purpose of the complaint for the submission of the complaint:
The late case of Oh Yoanna provides harassment in the workplace, stalking and alleged destruction of tests, which require a thorough investigation.
The case of the deceased Oh Yoanna is not a simple conflict in the workplace, but a serious social question that involves continuous harassment and circumstantial evidence of abandonment. In particular, the inability to publish a obituary after his death suggests a potential destruction of organized tests, making an in -depth investigation on this subject essential.
The deceased reported the harassment to four MBC employees during his life, but MBC is accused of neglecting the question or not having protected it due to deficiencies in his internal reporting system. This negligence and an inadequate response have probably contributed to its extreme decision and the Ministry of Remarkation and Labor should investigate if MBC has violated articles 76-2 (prohibition of harassment in the workplace) and 76-3 (duty to act if harassment) act of work standards.
In particular, the inability to publish a obituary after the death of the deceased is not simply an internal decision; It could suggest an organized attempt to cover the situation due to concerns that it turns into a criminal procedure. According to article 155 of the criminal code (destruction of tests, etc.), encouraging someone to destroy criminal tests is a crime. The Supreme Court also judged that requesting someone to eliminate evidence in a criminal proceeding constitutes an abuse of the right to defense (sentence of the Supreme Court on November 26, 2020). Therefore, the police must clarify the background behind the inability to publish the obituary.
In addition, the ongoing and organized harassment against the deceased suggest that this was not only a personal conflict, but rather organized harassment that included external interference and repeated psychological pressure. The police should carefully consider the possibility of applying the law on punishment of crime stalking and investigating the criminal liability of both the authors and those who have helped them.
The law on the punishment of the crime stalking regulates not only physical proximity, but also repeated, repeated psychological pressures and harassment. In light of the accusations of a “bullying group chat”, if the content of this chat has been transmitted to the deceased through a third party, causing his psychological discomfort, this could go beyond the simple conflict in the workplace and constitute one Violation of the punishment of the crime stalking law.
This case should serve from an important turning point to highlight the severity of harassment in the workplace and attempts to cover it. To strengthen the employer’s liability and establish effective victims protection measures, the Soul Mapo Police Department should collaborate in close contact with the Ministry of employment and work to investigate the case and set a precedent to prevent Similar accidents in the future.
