MBC is set to investigate the death of Anna Oh, a former weathercaster. On the 3rd, MBC announced, "The broadcasting corporation has completed the formation of a fact-finding committee over the weekend to verify the facts surrounding the deceased's alleged grievances."

An external individual has been appointed as the chairperson to prevent any potential biases. "Attorney Chae Yang-hee from the law firm Hae Myung will lead the committee," they stated.

Attorney Jung In-jin from the law firm Barun will also serve as an external committee member. Internal personnel will join the fact-finding committee to scrutinize the cause of the deceased’s death thoroughly. Given the gravity of the situation, a swift investigation has been promised. According to a representative, "The committee will commence its first meeting on February 5th to verify the facts surrounding the allegations."

According to the bereaved family, Anna Oh suffered from workplace harassment from 2021 until shortly before her death. Four weathercasters from MBC's weather team have been identified as the perpetrators.

MBC initially responded to these allegations by stating, "The deceased never reported any grievances she experienced during work to the relevant department or management." The corporation suggested that had the responsible managers been informed, an investigation would have been conducted. However, the bereaved family did not accept MBC's explanation, suspecting negligence.

Civic groups have also expressed support for Anna Oh. The Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center pointed out, "This incident is a reflection of the realities faced by non-regular workers in broadcasting companies." They cited poor working conditions and hierarchical organizational culture as the root causes, criticizing the situation as something "commonly experienced by almost all non-regular weathercasters and announcers in broadcasting."

Particularly concerning MBC’s initial response, they said it is "deeply regrettable." They further criticized, "It's difficult to understand why there was no internal investigation process within the company for more than four months."

They also highlighted secondary victimization toward the bereaved family, stating, "After the reports of the incident, issuing a statement that seems to question the grieving family is inappropriate." They emphasized, “To ensure MBC’s efforts do not go in vain, the silent endurance of unfairness by non-regular workers must not be ignored.”

Meanwhile, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul has begun a pre-investigation into Anna Oh's allegations.

<Photo Source=Anna Oh's SNS Capture>