[Sportschosun, Reporter Minjeong Cho] Two years have passed since the late Oh Yoanna, who worked as an MBC weathercaster, died. To mark the second anniversary of her death, MBC has set up a memorial space at its headquarters and will hold a weeklong period of remembrance.
Oh Yoanna died on September 15, 2024, at the age of 28. News of her death became known only about three months later. After a suicide note and messenger conversations were found on her mobile phone, allegations emerged that she had been subjected to workplace harassment during her lifetime.
To mark the second anniversary, MBC designated the period from the 14th through the 20th as a week of remembrance. A separate memorial space has also been set up on the first floor of the Management Center at MBC headquarters in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. MBC said the space was prepared to remember the time shared with the deceased and to provide an opportunity to express condolences.
Memorial events will also continue on the afternoon of the 15th, the second anniversary of her death. A wreath-laying ceremony will be held on the first floor of MBC’s new headquarters, followed by a memorial service titled “Oh Yoanna, Clear Skies Today” in the plaza in front of the building.
Oh Yoanna joined MBC as a weathercaster in 2021 and worked there for about three years. After her death, her bereaved family claimed that she had been subjected to workplace verbal abuse and unreasonable instructions, and the controversy grew into a broader social issue. A special labor inspection by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) also found repeated remarks and other circumstances whose business necessity was difficult to recognize. However, because Oh Yoanna was determined not to qualify as an MBC employee under the Labor Standards Act, the provisions prohibiting workplace harassment could not be directly applied.
MBC later issued an official apology to the bereaved family and awarded Oh Yoanna an honorary employee ID. It also introduced follow-up measures, including abolishing its existing freelance weathercaster system and establishing a regular position for “weather and climate experts.”
The bereaved family is still pursuing a damages lawsuit against a colleague identified as a perpetrator.
Reporter Minjeong Cho mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
