Comedian Park Na-rae, at the center of various allegations, broke her silence and appeared before the public, but public reaction was cold. Repeating only the position that "we will leave it to legal procedures" without explanation or a concrete apology, internet users have continued to evaluate it as "an explanation worse than none" and "she even missed the last golden timing."
On the 16th, Park Na-rae bowed her head and said in a 2-minute, 23-second video released on the YouTube channel "Baek Eun-young's Golden Time," "I take seriously that I have caused worry and fatigue to many people because of the issues recently raised." This was her first official statement eight days after she announced on social media on the 8th that she would suspend all broadcasting activities.
She said, "I voluntarily left all the programs I was doing because of these issues," and explained, "I did not want to cause confusion or burden to the production staff and colleagues any longer." However, she avoided direct mention of the core allegations that had drawn intense public attention.
Park Na-rae drew a line, saying, "There are parts that need calm verification of the facts regarding the issues currently raised, so legal procedures are underway," and "I will not make additional public remarks or explanations during that process." She added, "This matter is not a personal emotional or relational issue but one that should be objectively verified through official procedures."
Earlier, Park Na-rae was accused by former managers of so-called "gapjil" abuses such as verbal abuse, special injury, constant standby, and personal errands, and was exposed for proxy prescriptions, illegal medical procedures, and nonpayment of hosting fees. The controversy spread to allegations of illegal medical acts through "injection aunt" and "IV aunt," the issue of failing to register a one-person agency, and allegations that she falsely registered a former lover as an employee to pay wages and transferred company money.
Park Na-rae's side denied the claims in an earlier statement, saying former managers demanded excessive money after leaving their jobs and filed a counterclaim for extortion, and explained the illegal medical allegations as "having received a house call from a medical professional." However, as the former managers said "there was no agreement" and continued with additional exposes and legal action, the controversy instead intensified.
In this situation, there were expectations that the video in which Park Na-rae appeared and stated her position could become a "turning point" for the public. But reactions were mixed after the video was released. Among internet users, criticism poured in such as "In the end she said nothing," "a statement without apology or explanation is meaningless," "she should have given at least a basic explanation before talking about legal procedures," and "if not now, when would she speak — she missed the golden timing." On the other hand, there were voices that understood Park Na-rae's silence, saying, "It could be more dangerous to speak rashly while a legal dispute is underway," "we should respect the choice to follow procedures rather than give an emotional explanation," and "the facts should be judged by the results of the investigation."
However, the common point of the critical public opinion was her "attitude toward the public." As a broadcaster who has long been loved through variety shows, critics say that aside from legal responsibility, she lacked the minimum explanation and empathy the public could feel. In particular, the declaration, "To avoid creating further controversy, I will not speak about this matter after this video," was received by some as giving the impression of shutting the matter down rather than confronting the controversy head-on.
Meanwhile, after Park Na-rae suspended activities, the broadcast industry has also felt the aftershocks. She left MBC's I Live Alone, and also stepped down from "Save Me! Homes" and tvN's Amazing Saturday, and the shows that were to be publicly released — "Narae-sik," MBC's new variety show "I Am Also Excited," and "Palm You Trip" — were all canceled in production.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated regarding the Park Na-rae case that "there are five cases filed against Park Na-rae and one case filed by Park Na-rae's side." Until a legal judgment comes out, the controversy surrounding Park Na-rae is likely to remain on the public's testing ground for the time being. And the public's questions remain. Was this statement a choice to calm the situation, or was it a decision that missed an irreversible timing?
[Photo] OSEN DB, YouTube
[OSEN]