On the last day of interpellation on the 14th, the National Assembly will question the government regarding the late Oh Yoanna incident.
On this day, both the ruling and opposition parties plan to ask questions about current issues in the fields of education, society, and culture, including inquiries about measures to protect freelance workers from workplace harassment related to the MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna incident.
The late Oh Yoanna joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021 and suddenly passed away in September of last year. The news of her death was belatedly reported three months later in December.
Subsequently, reports emerged last month on the 27th that her suicide note had been discovered, raising suspicions of workplace harassment. The bereaved family has filed a civil lawsuit against a colleague who is believed to have engaged in workplace harassment at the Seoul Central District Court last December.
Currently, MBC has organized a fact-finding committee and has begun an investigation. The Mapo Police Station in Seoul has also received related complaints and is verifying the facts.
In this context, for workplace harassment to be established, the deceased must be considered an employee under the Labor Standards Act, raising the question of whether the late Oh, who was a freelancer, can be recognized as an employee. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has initiated a preliminary investigation to determine whether she qualifies as an employee under the Labor Standards Act. Additionally, the Seoul Regional Labor Office and the Seoul Western District Office have jointly formed a special labor inspection team to conduct a special labor inspection against MBC.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
