Following the conclusion of an investigative report on JTBC Crime Chief, allegations of MBC weathercasters bullying their late colleague, Oh Yo Anna, have been brought to light by former MBC reporter Kim Say, causing controversy in the entertainment scene.
As per Koreaboo, citing JTBC News, it was reported that Choi A Ri, Park Hae Myeong, Kim Ga Young, and Lee Hyun Seung were members of a group chatroom on KakaoTalk where they had purportedly bullied Oh.
The messages — shared by Oh's family — suggest that she faced a lifetime of being excluded and low-key berated about her life and career.
Shortly after Oh's passing was reported, an alleged workplace bullying was implicated as a culprit.
The dialogue, as seen in chat logs, included conversations about making a new group chat that would keep Oh and coworker Kum Che Rim out of it.
As per Koreaboo, the messages translate as:
- Lee Hyun Seung (Lee): Those two* are out of their minds.*Assumed to be Oh Yoanna and Kum Che Rim
- Kim Ga Young (Kim): Sunbae-nim, let's just make a new group chat. Like... this is getting out of hand. Really. Can we please have some peace?
- Lee: You're right. They're insane. We should all leave the group chat and leave them to it.
- Kim: I'm sorry you have to deal with this, sunbae-nim.
The logs also contained derogatory remarks regarding Oh's appearance in the TV show, 'You Quiz On The Block.'
- Kim: They're not just stupid... They're so stubborn.
- Lee: So stubborn. Like, they're honestly crazy.
- Kim: Yeah, both of them are not in their right minds.
A so-called "insider" revealed that Oh told his friend, fellow TV star Jang Sung Kyu, that he had been excluded from work.
The bullies reportedly criticized Oh for trying to contact them and declaring her unprofessional.
The family members of the late weathercaster have condemned the behavior of those accused, saying that Park Ha Myeong and Choi A Ri stood face to face with Oh while Lee Hyun Seung and Kim Ga Young bullied Oh behind her back.
So far, none of the four weathercasters have publicly commented on the allegations.
The incident has ignited a broader conversation about bullying in workplaces and its terrible effects across social media platforms.
Yo Anna's family has said that the messages being circulated call into question the lack of messages about prevention and believes that the exposure of the messages will increase awareness that can prevent these incidents.