Two weathercasters named as alleged perpetrators in the death of Oh Anna did not appear in court; witnesses failed to show up [Star Scene]

*This content was translated by AI.

Two weather anchors identified as alleged perpetrators did not appear in a damages lawsuit filed by the family of the late MBC weather anchor Go Yo-Anna, who gained attention following her sudden death due to workplace bullying issues.

The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Collegiate Panel No. 48 (Presiding Judge Kim Do-gyun) held the fifth argument session on Tuesday regarding the damages lawsuit related to workplace harassment of the late Oh Yo-anna.

On this day, the court confirmed attendance for witness questioning, but a total of four individuals, including the two identified as perpetrators, failed to appear. Consequently, the court decided to request a court order for their attendance.

Earlier, one weather caster scheduled to attend the witness hearing submitted a non-appearance report on the 15th, and the weather team PD requested by the defense also conveyed their position of non-appearance in March.

The family of the late Anna Go has submitted witness applications against three individuals, including two weathercasters identified as perpetrators of workplace harassment against the late Anna Go in October 2025. A lawyer for the family told StarNews, "We have filed witness applications with the court, and it is our wish that all three individuals appear as witnesses."

Subsequently, the court heard both sides' opinions on witness selection at the fourth argument session held on the 4th. The bereaved family maintained their position that the three witnesses they applied for were necessary for questioning. On the other hand, Party A requested the weather team PD who worked with the deceased at the time as a witness, stating, "We applied for this witness because they had frequent work exchanges with the deceased and are aware of their work attitude and the relationship between the defendant and the deceased."

The court explained, "If both sides have no significant objections, we will accept three witnesses for the plaintiff and one witness for the defendant. Since this is a case where the burden of proof lies with the plaintiff and the plaintiff is unable to contact the witnesses, we will accept all of them; in return, we will also accept the defendant's witness."

The late Anna Go was 28 years old when she passed away in September 2024. The news of her death was made public in December 2024, three months after her passing. Subsequently, allegations emerged that she had been subjected to workplace harassment by her colleagues during her lifetime.

As the repercussions mounted, MBC formed a truth investigation committee four months after the death of Oh Yo-an, stating, "We have decided to establish a truth investigation committee led by external Jeon Mun-ga-reul (Chairman)." The broadcaster added, "We have conducted an internal investigation and plan to provide maximum support to ensure the truth is revealed promptly. We will make every effort to uncover the accurate facts so that the grief of the bereaved family can be healed."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor also formed a special labor inspection team in February 2025 in a joint operation with the Seoul Local Office of Employment and Labor and the Seoul Western Branch, launching a special labor inspection targeting MBC. While concluding that weather presenters do not qualify as employees, the ministry determined that there were actions constituting workplace harassment. The Ministry of Employment and Labor's recognition of workplace harassment comes approximately eight months after the death of the late Oh Yo-an-na.

MBC issued an official statement saying, "We take the special labor inspection results from the Ministry of Employment and Labor very seriously," and expressed condolences to the late Oh Yo-anna and her family. The statement continued, "We will make every effort to prevent recurrence by prioritizing the establishment of countermeasures, improving organizational culture, and complying with labor relations laws as the top management priority. We take the Ministry of Employment and Labor's judgment that 'bullying behavior occurred against the late Oh Yo-anna' very seriously and will immediately undertake efforts to improve organizational culture. Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved." Additionally, the statement noted, "Based on the 'comprehensive organizational culture improvement plan' previously submitted to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, we are already implementing improvement measures. We will reconfirm and address any shortcomings in light of this announcement and continue to make necessary improvements."

MBC stated, "We will further improve and strengthen the system to address issues that may arise among freelancers and non-regular workers as quickly as possible. We will expand and reinforce the currently operating Clean Center so that harassment and difficulties can be reported and resolved immediately. Regardless of employment form, we will improve the system to allow anonymous reporting when colleagues become aware of such issues." It further added, "Regarding the determination of worker status for some freelancers, we will conduct a legal review and implement appropriate measures as soon as possible." The broadcaster also conveyed, "We sincerely apologize once again to the family of Oh Yo-an for this tragic incident."

Subsequently, MBC decided to immediately terminate its contract with Mr. A, while it was reported that contracts were renewed with the other three individuals identified as perpetrators.

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*This content was translated by AI.