The second hearing for the damages lawsuit against colleague weathercaster A, who has been identified as the perpetrator of workplace bullying against the late MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna, will be held.
The 48th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Kim Do-kyun) will hold the second hearing for the damages claim lawsuit filed by the deceased's family against A at 10:30 AM on the 14th. It was originally scheduled for September 23 but was postponed due to a request for a change of date from the defendant A's side.
The family filed a damages claim lawsuit against A for 510 million won last December. The complaint alleges that from October 2021 until the deceased's death in September last year, there were about two years of verbal abuse and unfair directives.
During the first hearing held on July 22, the claims from both sides were conflicting. A's side argued, "The claims from the family do not consider the relationship and actions between the deceased and A, the circumstances at the time, and the overall context of the conversations, but only edit some parts of the conversation." They claimed, "A has never bullied the deceased at work, and asserting that A's actions caused the deceased's death is a distortion of the facts."
They also emphasized, "The deceased maintained a good relationship with A until her death, and considering that the deceased was struggling with personal issues and negative comments, it is difficult to acknowledge a causal relationship between her death and A."
In response, the family argued, "While there may be some conversations that appear to show a good relationship between the two, the fact that A bullied the deceased and that the deceased complained of mental suffering remains unchanged," and "The conversations that seemed friendly were merely to avoid upsetting a superior at work, and cannot be seen as evidence of a good relationship."
Meanwhile, the late Oh Yoanna began her career as an MBC weathercaster in 2021, appearing on 'MBC News', 'MBC News Today', and the radio program 'Opening the World in the Morning'. She suddenly passed away on September 15 last year, and her obituary was belatedly reported three months after her death in December. In January, evidence of workplace bullying, including a will, recordings, and messages, was found on her mobile phone.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which conducted a special labor inspection of MBC, acknowledged the bullying against the deceased on May 19, stating, "There were repeated statements that were difficult to recognize as necessary for work beyond simple guidance or advice." However, they stated that they could not classify the deceased as an MBC employee, so the 'Workplace Bullying Prevention System' could not be applied.
MBC has terminated its contract with A and has re-signed contracts with the other three individuals confirmed to have participated in the bullying.
In the meantime, the deceased's mother has been on a hunger strike in front of MBC since the 8th of last month, demanding an official apology from the company, measures to prevent recurrence, and the restoration of her daughter's honor. After 27 days of the protest, she concluded the hunger strike on the 5th after reaching an agreement with the company. MBC is scheduled to hold a press conference on the 15th with the family, which will include an apology to the deceased, the awarding of a honorary employee certificate, and measures to prevent recurrence.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
