Travel YouTuber Wonji (real name Lee Wonji) bowed her head for the third time following the so-called "6-pyeong basement office" controversy. Unlike previous times when she only posted statements in writing, this time she showed her face and apologized in a video.
On the 4th, a video titled "Hello. I am Lee Wonji" was posted on the YouTube channel "A day of Wonji." In the video, Wonji sat in front of the camera with a grim expression and repeatedly apologized, saying, "I am truly sorry for causing worry and concern to many people regarding the office controversy."
Wonji said, "I have emphasized the importance of ventilation more than anyone, and I failed to pay attention to that, causing discomfort to team members. I am deeply reflecting on this," and explained the current situation, saying, "After the controversy, we immediately switched to working from home, and we are also sorting out operations." She added the background for making the video, saying, "Recently some people have been coming to the office in person, and parts that are not factual have been reported in articles, so I thought I should explain without delay."
The controversy began with a video released last month titled "Looking for a 6-pyeong office." At the time, Wonji introduced a windowless office about 6 pyeong in size in the second basement level as her new base and showed herself and three employees working together. But once the video was released, criticism poured in that "employees were made to work in a space with no ventilation or natural light," and the backlash included comments such as "it looks like a prison" and "it seems like a black company."
As a travel YouTuber who had said, "If there is no ventilation, you must leave," and "If the air is bad, I don't stay long," the controversy directly contradicted his usual remarks and public sentiment worsened. Wonji made the video private and posted two apology letters through the YouTube community, saying, "There are no windows, but we trusted the building's ventilation system," and "As it was our first office, there were many shortcomings. It is difficult now, but we will definitely improve," bowing her head.
When the controversy did not subside, she also directly addressed rumors that had surfaced. Wonji drew a line, saying, "It seems to have been accepted as fact that the Hannam-dong office is my personal office and that the agency CEO is my husband," and clarified, "The Hannam-dong office is a company office in which I have 0% equity, and the agency CEO is not my husband or a relative but only a professional associate."
She also explained the process of choosing the new office. She said, "We were in a situation where we had to vacate the office we had been using urgently. Because I am such a hasty and fiery person, the place where I immediately paid the deposit that day turned out to be that problematic office," and blamed herself, saying, "I reflected on whether I had been running the business with the mindset of 'working as if traveling.' Regardless of size, I was very lacking as a representative."
She said they have now begun a full-scale office cleanup. Wonji said, "We have been cleaning up the office since this week. We first applied for consultation with a shared office and are also looking for new space through real estate agents," and added, "I will tell you again once things are properly sorted and a direction is set."
The situation is reflected in the change in subscriber numbers. The "A day of Wonji" channel, which had more than about 1 million subscribers, has steadily lost subscribers after the controversy and fell to about 987,000 as of the 5th. She had been loved as a top-tier travel YouTuber for overseas travel content and the entertainment show "World Dice Tour," but the controversy over employee treatment and the repeated explanations caused considerable damage.
At the end of the video, Wonji again apologized, saying, "I appreciate the harsh criticism and the support both," and "From now on I will act only within the scope of what I can do without being greedy, and as a representative I will take responsibility and pay closer attention to those around me. I am sorry once again." It remains to be seen whether the third apology amid the controversy and the first "face reveal" statement can restore shaken trust.
[Photo] SNS / YouTube capture
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