Here is the translated article:
The shocking reasons behind the resignation of two female managers who sued comedian Park Na-rae have been revealed.
On the 8th, a video titled “Shocking Exclusive! Was Park Na-rae wrongfully accused of abuse? The truth behind her suspension announcement” was posted on the YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho.”
In the video, Lee Jin-ho stated, “I have contacted both sides. The core issue here is not the aunt who administers injections, but whether Park Na-rae committed workplace abuse.”
Lee Jin-ho focused on why the two managers decided to resign on the same day, revealing that the managers who filed the lawsuit were two young female managers. One was at the director level, working with Park since her time at JDB Entertainment, and the other was a field manager who had been with her for 1 year and 3 months.
According to the managers, they had to handle Park Na-rae’s frequent drinking gatherings, prepare and clean up after “Na-rae-style” parties, be on call 24/7, procure alcohol and snacks, and run personal errands. During this process, one of them was injured by a wine glass thrown by Park Na-rae, requiring a visit to the emergency room.
Lee Jin-ho claimed the decisive moment leading to their simultaneous resignation happened around the filming of MBC’s new variety show “I’m Excited.” He described an incident during a 1-night, 2-day shoot from November 8th to 9th in Gangwon-do, where despite being repeatedly asked if any items needed packing, Park insisted there was no need. On the departure day, Park suddenly demanded specific items like wine glasses and mats, leading to a frantic but fruitless search, followed by severe reprimand from Park in front of new staff, causing them deep embarrassment.
Despite this incident, the two managers completed the Gangwon-do shoot, returned Park home on November 9th, and tendered their resignations the same day. Lee Jin-ho stated that the managers had endured long enough but could no longer continue.
Regarding issues of severance pay and unpaid wages, he mentioned, “Although Park Na-rae claimed to settle severance properly, only partial payments were made, with overtime pay being the key issue.” The nature of their work included unforeseen tasks, 24/7 standby for Park’s personal errands, and according to them, workloads intended for 4-5 people were handled by just two female managers. They worked for an average of over 400 hours a month.
In terms of the controversial ‘10% of revenue,’ Lee Jin-ho explained that when Park left JDB, she proposed to her female staff member (now the director-level manager) to work together like in a one-person agency, promising verbally ‘a monthly payment of 5 million won’ and ‘10% of company profits.’ However, the actual pay was in the 3 million won range, and the ‘10% profit’ promise wasn’t honored. During the resignation process, they based their settlement request on this promise, but the agency’s official statement claimed it was a ‘demand for 10% of last year’s revenue.’
According to a Dispatch report on the 4th, the former managers filed a request for asset seizure against Park at the Seoul Western District Court, citing workplace harassment, special injuries, unauthorized prescription, and unpaid running expenses. Additionally, allegations arose about receiving unauthorized medical treatment from an unlicensed nurse, further intensifying the controversy.
As the controversy grew, Park announced, “As a comedian who brings laughter and joy, I’ve decided to suspend all broadcasts until everything is cleanly resolved to avoid inconveniencing programs and colleagues,” and announced her departure from all broadcasts.
Reporter: Han Su-ji, [email protected] / Photos: TVReport DB, YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho”