"Won't I get fired?" Lee Na-yeon, aftermath of 'JTBC air conditioner remark'... 'Incident Squad' anchor refutes [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

As controversy over Lee Na-yeon's "air conditioner" remarks, a cast member of TVING's "Transfer Love 2" and JTBC Sports anchor, has escalated, Yang Won-bo, anchor of "Incident Squad," has also issued a rebuttal, triggering further backlash.

In the opening segment of JTBC's "Incident Squad" broadcast on the 23rd, anchor Yang Won-bo stated, "Some reports claim there is no air conditioning at JTBC, but that is not true. It is working well right now."

This appears to be a direct clarification following growing controversy over Lee Na-yeon's remarks referencing JTBC's financial difficulties.

Earlier, Lee Na-yeon shared a daily vlog video on her YouTube channel showing her visiting the JTBC building. While attending an online Chinese language class in the first-floor lobby of the JTBC headquarters, she said, "Can I really say this? Is it because the company is struggling? The air conditioner isn't working. It's too hot."

She continued, "Could this really have an impact?" and expressed concern, saying, "Won't I get fired for saying something like that?" She added, "Honestly, I'm not sure how long we can continue broadcasting. This place is like my heart's hometown. Although nothing has been decided yet, if anything becomes confirmed, I will let you know first."

However, after the video was released, criticism poured in for her remarks being hasty and reckless. One netizen commented, "It's true the company is struggling, but members are enduring hardships at their desks. If you hold a position of influence, you should have considered the ripple effect of your words." They further noted, "For reference, the air conditioner is working well and it's even too cold. Making public remarks like this as a freelancer rather than a regular employee harms not only internal evaluations but also the entire organization."

As the controversy intensified, Lee Na-yeon edited out and deleted the scene containing her remarks.

Meanwhile, on the 12th last month, JTBC declared a debt default (default) after failing to repay a total of 20.6 billion won in liquidity loans. Following this, it filed for court-supervised restructuring proceedings. The court accepted its application for the Automatic Restructuring Support (ARS) program and postponed the decision to initiate formal restructuring proceedings against JTBC.

Lee Na-yeon joined JTBC as a golf announcer in 2021 and began her broadcasting career. She gained public recognition by appearing on TVING's "Transfer Love 2" in 2022.

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*This content was translated by AI.