The mother of the late MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna has made demands to MBC and the government.
On the 1st, the deceased's mother, Jang Yeon-mi, held a press conference in front of the National Planning and Coordination Committee in Jongno-gu, Seoul, along with the broadcasting irregular workers' group 'Ending Credit' and Workplace Harassment 119.
They announced their demands to MBC and the government on behalf of the bereaved family.
Their demands include: ▲ MBC President Ahn Hyung-jun to acknowledge that the deceased was a worker, ▲ an apology to the bereaved family, organizational members, and civil society, containing a promise of accountability for the death and prevention of recurrence, ▲ appropriate compensation for the restoration of the deceased's honor, including awarding honorary employee certificates to the bereaved family, and establishing an in-house memorial space, ▲ a comprehensive survey of the status of irregular freelancers, ▲ correction of issues pointed out in the special labor inspection results by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, ▲ disclosure of the MBC investigation results reported only to the major shareholder, the Korea Broadcasting System Promotion Association (KBS).
Regarding the government, they urged: ▲ instructions to resolve the issue of 'nominal freelancers' at broadcasting companies, ▲ disclosure of the internal report containing the results of the special labor inspection, ▲ additional labor inspections of broadcasting companies, ▲ strengthening of measures against the practice of unpaid wages for canceled programs, ▲ re-reflection of the condition for 'improving the treatment of irregular workers' that was deleted by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), ▲ re-examination of the criteria for determining worker status by the Ministry of Labor, ▲ and the establishment of guidelines through expert participation.
Jang Yeon-mi stated, "It has already been two months and fifteen days since our daughter passed away, and soon it will be the first anniversary," and criticized, "MBC is still hurting us. They claim they have no legal responsibility by riding on the judgment of the Ministry of Labor."
She added, "I have never once dreamed of a world without Yoanna. Even now, every day is painful, and I can't swallow food, but I have to fight for Yoanna, so I try to swallow it anyway," showing her tears.
Regarding the Lee Jae-myung government, she appealed, "President Lee Jae-myung said he would listen to the voices of the minority. Please listen. A person has died; we cannot just ignore this," and expressed her hope that "all truths will be revealed."
She also mentioned that she has not yet received the results of the investigations by the Ministry of Labor and MBC, urging, "Please announce the content accurately." She added, "What are you trying to hide regarding Yoanna's death?" with a heart full of anguish.
Yoon Ji-young, the representative of Workplace Harassment 119 (lawyer), stated, "The reason MBC ignored the pain of caster Oh's workplace harassment is that they did not consider her an employee," emphasizing, "Workers treated as freelancers outside the law are much more vulnerable to harassment. The government must actively address this." She pointed out that despite continuous demands to the Ministry of Labor and the KCC regarding the issues of irregular workers in the broadcasting industry and workplace harassment, nothing has been done, asserting, "Not only MBC but the government must also take responsibility for Oh Yoanna's death."
After the press conference, the bereaved family met with Lee Yong-woo, a member of the National Planning and Coordination Committee, to deliver their demands and had a meeting for about 30 minutes.
Oh Yoanna, who was active as an MBC weathercaster, passed away last September. This news was belatedly reported in December of last year. Subsequently, in January, evidence suggesting she had been subjected to workplace harassment, including a 17-page will found on her mobile phone along with recordings and messages, sparked controversy.
The deceased's family has filed a lawsuit for damages against fellow weathercaster A, and the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 48 (Chief Judge Kim Do-kyun) is scheduled to hold a hearing for the case on July 22 at 2:10 PM.
