Heeji Jini's former employee claims "annual salary of 20 million won, 16-hour workdays… led to panic disorder and even extreme attempts" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A former employee of kids YouTuber 'Heeji Jini,' who has over 4 million subscribers, claimed that they worked excessively up to 16 hours a day, to the extent of being diagnosed with panic disorder and recognized as having suffered an occupational injury.

Recently, a post by Person A, who is Heeji Jini's friend and former employee, was uploaded to the online community OnLINE.

Person A identified themselves as "someone who worked at Heeji Jini's company, was diagnosed with panic disorder, and received recognition for an occupational injury after approximately one year of application procedures."

They continued, "At the time, I was solely responsible for tasks necessary for producing and operating the Chinese-language channel, repeatedly working long overtime hours and on weekends," adding, "Although my occupational injury was recognized in 2020, my symptoms did not improve easily."

The individual explained, "In December 2016, Heeji Jini told me she was leaving 'Carrie and the Toy Friends' to start a new company and proposed that I work with her as a creator for the Chinese-language channel, which I accepted," and stated, "From April 2017, during a period when the company was busy with initial video filming and editing, I went to the company almost every day under the pretext of learning how to be a creator."

According to Person A, they initially performed miscellaneous tasks such as postal office duties in addition to filming and editing under Heeji Jini, and after the channel opened, they handled selecting event winners, organizing winner information in Excel, contacting winners and sending packages, and serving as a voice actor for the Chinese-language channel.

Person A revealed that they received an annual salary of 20 million won in 2017 and 2018 while working up to 16 hours a day. They stated, "I worked overtime until dawn every day and had to work on weekends more than five times a month. I could not take breaks during the Lunar New Year holiday or Chuseok," adding, "In November 2018, while working overtime at the company, I suddenly couldn't breathe properly and began gasping heavily, eventually going to the emergency room. I was diagnosed with panic disorder, depression, and social anxiety."

They also said, "Severe seizures continued at the company in December of that year as well, and the company proposed unpaid leave, telling me to rest," adding, "After I applied for occupational injury recognition, the company claimed they could not acknowledge a connection between my work and my panic disorder. It even included content suggesting suspicion about whether I was actually ill, citing the fact that I had traveled while on leave."

Person A stated that their panic disorder rapidly worsened and they even made extreme attempts, ultimately receiving an occupational injury determination from the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service in January 2020, one year later.

Meanwhile, Heeji Jini is active as a famous kids YouTuber, having appeared on programs such as KBS 2TV's "The Boss Has Donkey Ears."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original