"Though Silent Despite the Facts"… Jang Sung-kyu Speaks Out on the Late Oh Yoanna Controversy

"Malicious Comments Targeting My Family"
Jang Sungkyu Appeals for Relief from Online Abuse

Broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu clarified that the allegations of him turning a blind eye to workplace harassment suffered by the late Oh Yo-anna are "not true."

Broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu. Yonhap News

On the 5th, Jang Sung-kyu wrote on social media (SNS), "I am sorry that I could only mourn in my heart upon belatedly learning of the late's news last December. Although late, I hope the late's grievances are resolved and that they rest in peace there, and that the bereaved family finds comfort. If I can be of help to achieve that, I will do my best."

He continued, "When my name was first mentioned, there were inaccuracies that upset me, but compared to the pain of the late and the bereaved family, I judged it to be a pain less than dust and chose not to correct it, remaining silent. That silence was increasingly interpreted by netizens as me admitting to the allegations, and malicious comments began to appear. Eventually, malicious comments about my family started, and to fulfill my role as a protector, I limited the permissions to comment, but the severity increased," he lamented.

He added, "I believe it is the wrong order to try to resolve my small grievances before the late's grievances are resolved. However, I humbly ask that malicious comments about my family be refrained from until everything is resolved."

MBC weathercaster Oh Yo-anna passed away in September last year, but the news was only announced on December 10 of the same year. Afterwards, a media outlet reported that the late had been harassed by fellow weathercasters, causing a major stir and leading to multiple mentions of Jang Sung-kyu's name.

On the 31st of last month, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul announced that they had received a complaint via the National Police Agency’s online petition system requesting an investigation into Oh's case and had begun a preliminary investigation. Previously, a netizen filed a complaint through the National Police Agency requesting the police and Ministry of Employment and Labor to investigate the workplace harassment case involving Oh. The complainant alleged that MBC President Ahn Hyung-joon, the head of the relevant department, and fellow weathercasters were involved in evidence tampering, professional negligence causing death, and violations of the Stalking Punishment Act.

About four months after Oh Yo-anna's death, MBC announced on the 3rd that it would launch a fact-finding committee. The committee, chaired by attorney Chae Yang-hee (from the law firm Hyemyeong), held its first meeting that day and began full-scale activities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.