[Sportschosun Reporter Jeong An-ji] Lee Na-yeon, a JTBC Sports announcer who rose to fame through "Exchange 2," has sparked an online debate after mentioning the company's difficult management situation. Some netizens criticized her, saying, "It was a careless remark given her influence," while others defended her, calling it "just an honest confession made out of concern for the company."
Lee recently uploaded a video titled "I'm Still Not Unemployed" to her YouTube channel, "I’m Still Not Unemployed, Nayeon."
In the video, Lee took a Chinese tutoring class over Zoom on the first floor of the company building and then said, "Can I even say this? Maybe the company is struggling, because the air conditioner isn't working. It's so hot." She then drew attention with a cautious reaction, saying, "Does this really have an impact? I won't get fired for saying this, right?"
She also wrote in the video description, "As I have done my best to live by giving my all to the work I was given, I looked around and realized the world has changed a lot. For example, I kept working hard on broadcasts, and then the company went bankrupt...? Don't laugh. I'm serious."
She went on to confess, "I was briefly depressed thinking, 'If I leave this company, will I be able to work as an announcer again? I'm older now, and it will be hard to get rehired. Is this the end of my career as an announcer?'" She added, "Even if the company does not end right away, it feels like I am slowly heading toward the end of my dream." She continued, "But maybe this is also part of my life process. I can't keep doing only one thing forever, and there will always be work that fits the stage of life I am in, and that I can do well at that time."
"Fortunately, there are no major problems yet with the company or my broadcasts, but I am still seriously thinking about my second future," Lee said. "Even if I take on a new job later, I hope my little ones will cheer me on."
After the video was released, reactions from netizens were divided. Some criticized her, saying, "That was careless," and "If you are someone with influence, I hope you would think a little more about the impact of every word you say. That goes even more if you are a member of JTBC."
Others responded, "It was simply an honest feeling born from concern for the company," and "She was just opening up about an anxious reality, so excessive criticism is going too far," fueling the debate.
JTBC recently declared default after failing to repay 20.6 billion won in asset-backed borrowing by the maturity date. After that, JoongAng Holdings, JTBC, ContentreeJoongAng, Megabox Joongang, and other affiliates of the JoongAng Group filed for corporate rehabilitation proceedings.
Meanwhile, Lee Na-yeon is a former JTBC Golf announcer who became widely known through TVING's "Exchange 2."
anjee85@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
