According to News1 on December 9, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul received complaints from former managers against Park Na-rae for charges including special injury, defamation through false statements, and defamation through violations of the information and communication network.
On December 3, former executives accused Park Na-rae of workplace bullying, verbal abuse, special injuries, proxy prescriptions, non-payment of hosting fees, and personal errands such as carrying out household chores, cleaning parties, and forced participation in drinking sessions. They also claimed to be on call 24 hours a day, revealing high work pressure.
Park Na-rae’s agency responded like this The executives also demanded a sum equal to 10% of the company’s turnover from the previous year and threatened legal action against them for coercion and embezzlement.
New allegations have emerged, supporting this Park Na-rae, as the de facto head of a one-man agency, embezzled funds by registering her ex-boyfriend as a full-time employee and paying him ₩44 million (about $33,000) over 11 months without any work actually being done. It was further alleged that her mother received a salary of ₩55 million (approximately $41,000 USD) and that Park Na-rae transferred approximately ₩300 million (approximately $230,000 USD) to her ex-boyfriend as a deposit for a rental agreement.
Park Na-rae’s side refuted these claims, calling them extortion attempts disguised as complaints.
Further revelations about managers’ working conditions were disclosed on December 8 by YouTuber Lee Jin-ho. He stated it two female managers had to be on call 24 hours a day and frequently run personal errands, working up to 26 hours at a time and returning to work immediately after finishing a shift. Despite having to cover the workload of four or five people, the managers’ pay would be less than ₩3 million (about $2,300) per month, much lower than the initially promised ₩5 million (about $3,900) plus 10% of company profits.
Lee Jin-ho also explained that Park Na-rae parted ways with her long-term agency JDB in September last year and intended to continue working with her manager S on a standard contract with a revenue-sharing agreement. However, Park allegedly postponed formal contracts, ensuring payment a year later and providing only verbal promises, which were not kept.
Amid these controversies, Park Na-rae withdrew from her appearances on MBC I live alone and tvN Fantastic Saturday.
This case highlights ongoing discussions about workplace rights and treatment of staff in South Korea’s entertainment industry, where hierarchical and demanding work cultures are often criticized.
Sources: Nate, Star News
