After 27 days in a hunger strike, the mother of the late MBC Weatheraster Oh Youua He concluded his protest following a provisional agreement with the South Korean issuer.
According to Osen, Jang Yeon-Mi, Oh YouuaThe mother agreed to stop her strike on October 5 after MBC has committed to keep public apologies and discuss compensation for the family. Since then Jang Yeon-Mi has been hospitalized in Soul for medical treatment.
Based on the agreement, MBC will host a press conference on October 15, in which the managers will issue official excuses to which Oh YouuaThe family and the public. The issuer also confirmed that he will assign Oh Youua An honorary badge for employees and maintains his commemorative space in his headquarters in Sangam-Dong, Soul, until 15 September 2026, the second anniversary of his death.
Oh YouuaA popular meteorological presenter at the MBC, died of suicide on September 15, 2024, at the age of 28. His death became public almost three months later, pushing the widespread shock and control of working conditions in the South Korean media industry.
At the beginning of this year, reports emerged Oh Youua Presumably he had been a bullied victim of two of his colleagues, both freelance weather announcers at the MBC. Police investigators found a 17 -page note on his phone who detailed instances of harassment in the workplace.
In response, the Ministry of employment and work has started a special investigation. In May 2025, the Ministry concluded that the harassment had actually took place, but noticed that the MBC could not be penalized pursuant to the law on work standards, such as Oh Youua It was classified as a freelance contractor rather than an employee.
Following the sentence, MBC has released a declaration that describes the results as a “severe warning”, adding that it would focus on the prevention of abuses in the workplace and the improvement of internal culture.
In September, scoring a year since then Oh YouuaThe passage, MBC has announced its intention to abolish its freelance Weathercaster system and introduce a new employment structure.
The issuer said that he would now take full -time weather professionals, integrating them into his editorial staff as permanent staff. These employees will not only provide wave weather forecasts, but will also contribute to climatic and environmental relationships.
MBC plans to open the public recruitment for these positions by the end of 2025 or at the beginning of 2026 Existing freelance weather presenters will be able to apply.
Despite the commitments of MBC, the groups of civil society e Oh YouuaThe family criticized the management of the case issuer. In a joint declaration, they accused MBC of trying to “delete” Oh YouuaIdentity as a worker.
“The hunger strike of his mother was not destined to punish anyone”, The declaration reads. “It was to put an end to the injustice that pushed his daughter to despair and to ensure that no one else suffers from the same fate.”
Activists described MBC’s response as “a second death for Oh Youua“Asking for a systemic reform in the media industry of South Korea, where freelance announcers often work without legal protections.
The press conference of 15 October of MBC will mark its first official excuses from the accident. The company has declared that it will reveal the complete results of its independent research committee on the facts once the legal proceedings are concluded.
Oh YouuaDeath has rekindled the debate in South Korea regarding labor rights, mental health and the treatment of contract workers in high pressure sectors such as transmission.
Sources: Osen, MBC
