As allegations of managerial abuse surrounding broadcaster Park Na-rae spread, singer Jang Yoon-jung's past remarks are once again drawing attention. Her principled comments, which drew a clear line regarding how managers should be treated, are being reexamined in contrast with the current controversy.
In June, a video titled "Yoon-jung's day making bowls, getting an eyelash perm, and having a glass of soju with monkfish stew" was released on the YouTube channel "Dojang TV." In the video, Jang Yoon-jung visited a restaurant to eat monkfish stew, and upon seeing a poster on the exterior wall featuring her husband Do Kyung-wan in the "Saengsaeng Jeongbotong" poster, she laughed and said, "Why does your face look so puffy in this photo?"
While dining with soju, Jang Yoon-jung asked her manager, "Do you want to call a designated driver?" When the manager declined, she said, "Think about it. I'll give you two minutes," showing respect for the manager's choice.
Later, Jang Yoon-jung opened up, saying, "When I read the comments, many people find it refreshing that managers drink with entertainers and that managers call designated drivers." She then asked rhetorically, "What kind of world is this these days where you would make a manager wait while you drink?" When the production staff replied, "That's the world now," Jang Yoon-jung took a firm stance, saying, "That's not acceptable. Then you should send the manager. You should drink alone and figure out how to go by yourself; you can't do that." She added, "If you do that, you'll be reported to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL)," expressing a clear awareness of the employment relationship.
These remarks have been brought up again as Park Na-rae faces recent allegations of abusive behavior from former managers. Park Na-rae's former managers have alleged that they were required to clean up after parties, pressured to attend drinking gatherings, standby 24 hours a day, run personal errands, and even handle medical-related tasks such as making hospital appointments and picking up prescriptions, and the controversy continues.
As Jang Yoon-jung's remarks were reexamined, online responses followed, saying, "That's a normal perception," "There's a reason Jang Yoon-jung has been loved for so long," and "There's a difference in how managers are treated."
Amid changing social perceptions about the relationship between celebrities and their managers, Jang Yoon-jung's principled remarks are prompting people to reconsider standards for healthy employment relationships beyond simple good deeds.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB, YouTube
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