[Sportschosun, Reporter Kim Jun-seok] Two weathercasters named as perpetrators in a damages lawsuit related to allegations of workplace bullying against the late Oh Yo-anna failed to appear for witness questioning.
On the 18th, Civil Division 48 of the Seoul Central District Court held the sixth hearing in the damages suit filed by Oh Yo-anna's bereaved family.
At the hearing, the court said that two of the four witnesses, both weathercasters accused of bullying, did not appear for the witness examination.
One of them submitted a written explanation for the absence, while it was confirmed that default service had not been completed for the other.
At the previous fifth hearing, the court had also scheduled witness examination, but all four witnesses selected at the time failed to appear.
The court said, "We will proceed with the address correction process for the two weathercasters who did not appear," and added, "If they do not show up at the next hearing either, we will consider imposing fines."
The current witnesses include the two weathercasters accused of bullying, a fellow weathercaster of the deceased, and a weather team producer requested by the defendants.
The court decided to hold the witness examination of the deceased's fellow weathercaster behind closed doors, while the examination of the weather team producer will resume in August.
Meanwhile, Oh Yo-anna died in September 2024 at the age of 28. Allegations later emerged that she had been bullied at work by fellow weathercasters, and MOEL determined through a special labor inspection that there had been conduct that could be considered bullying.
The bereaved family filed a 510 million won damages suit against the people involved, and MBC has since issued an official statement on the matter.
Ahn Hyung-joon apologized for the workplace bullying issue raised by the bereaved family. MBC also awarded the deceased an honorary employee card and signed an agreement with the family.
Reporter Kim Jun-seok
