As it marks the 1st anniversary of the passing of weathercaster Oh Yoanna, MBC has decided to abolish the weathercaster system.
On the 15th, MBC announced in an official press release, “It has been a year since the late Oh Yoanna passed away. MBC offers its condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family,” and stated, “MBC will abolish the freelance weathercaster system and introduce a weather and climate expert system to hire full-time employees.”
According to MBC, the newly established 'weather and climate expert' will not only take on the roles of the existing weathercasters but also be responsible for reporting, appearances, and content production, delivering professional weather and climate information to viewers. The selection of weather and climate experts is expected to take place through a public recruitment process at the end of this year or early next year.
Eligibility for application includes those with a major or certification related to weather, climate, and environment, or individuals with over five years of experience in the relevant industry, and existing freelance weathercasters are also eligible to apply.
MBC plans to disclose the recruitment schedule and methods in the future to ensure fairness in the hiring of weather and climate experts.
Regarding the lawsuit with the family of the late Oh Yoanna, MBC stated, “If there is an agreement among the parties involved in the civil lawsuit, we plan to disclose the results of the investigation by the fact-finding committee.”
Oh Yoanna, who joined MBC in 2021, passed away in September of last year. Earlier this year, her family discovered a 17-page (approximately 2750 characters) letter on her mobile phone, detailing harassment by fellow weathercasters, leading to allegations of workplace bullying. The family has filed a lawsuit for damages against fellow weathercaster A and is continuing legal battles.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor concluded in May, following a special labor inspection, that there had been acts of harassment against Oh Yoanna. However, it stated that as she was classified as a freelancer under labor law, the regulations on 'workplace bullying' could not be applied legally.
