WARNING: This article contains descriptions of suicide and self-harm that may be upsetting to some readers.
MBC weathercaster Oyoanna (or Oh Yo-anna) died on September 15, 2024, and details of her suicide note have been released, which reveal the workplace bullying she endured before her death.
The letter was discovered on her cell phone, which was left unlocked, and includes her battle with bullying from other weathercasters.
Even though Oh's family did not publicize the initial cause of death, they subsequently disclosed that she had taken her own life.
The suicide note allegedly exceeds 3000 characters in length and covers 17 pages, alleging bullying from two colleagues in particular.
An investigation by Maeil Shinmun found that Oh had been harassed since March 2022 after going freelance with MBC as a weathercaster in May of the prior year.
In her note, she detailed a case where a co-worker had alleged false claims against her and another where a different colleague scolded her for reading weather information that she felt was wrong.
However, the recovered text messages from Oh's KakaoTalk account showed that the actress had engaged in some disturbing conversations with her co-workers. Another freelancer supposedly kept her at the office late as a "lesson," while others bombarded her with messages blasting Oh's work.
Even though she tried to report the school bullying to MBC officials before her death, there was no investigation made after her passing.
READ MORE: Oh Yo Anna's Last Post Reveals Facial Injuries Before Untimely Passing— Cause of Death Unspecified
When there are sufficient grounds, investigations are initiated, and an MBC spokesperson was quoted as saying, "An investigation can only be conducted if there is a reason to do so."
The immediate aftermath of Oh's untimely demise has also raised questions about how freelancers are treated in the broadcasting line of work.
A nameless weatherman commented that management practices at broadcasters made the scenario worse by creating a hierarchy, even among freelancers.
According to legal experts, freelancers can be considered victims of workplace bullying if they are intimidated or harassed to the point that it disrupts their work — a violation of the Workplace Bullying Prevention Act, which took effect in October 2020.
Last year, the Supreme Court made its landmark ruling on the status of freelance workers in the case of the KBS announcer, and thus, the Supreme Court ruling became a precedent regarding freelance workers' rights.
In her suicide note, Oh requested her funeral be "outdoor like a party... scatter my ashes in the ocean."
Calls for an investigation into the circumstances of her death have intensified, with advocates saying reforms are needed to prevent a repeat of abuses freelance workers face in South Korea.
