Broadcaster Park Narae has been embroiled in allegations of power abuse, and attention has turned to claims that she even ordered her managers to prepare large-quantity dishes.
On the 22nd, a YouTube channel uploaded a video containing claims from Park Narae's former managers. According to the video that day, Park Narae's former managers were said to have been busy preparing food and running errands every time Narae Bar operated.
The former managers said, "On days when Narae Bar opened, we were extremely busy. We had to go to the fish market, and depending on the actors or entertainers, Park Narae changed the lighting a lot. Managers changed the lighting according to the entertainers' characteristics, and depending on the foods and items Park Narae decided that day, we even went to pick them up in Gwacheon or Gangwon-do," they claimed.
Also, when Narae Bar opened, they waited inside the house and personally poured and brought drinks whenever they ran out, and in the case of wine, they even chilled it before serving. Moreover, because different wines require different glasses, whenever the wine type changed the managers were responsible for organizing and separately serving the glasses as well.
In addition, the former managers said they took charge of washing dishes after Narae Bar ended, hailing taxis for the entertainers who attended Narae Bar, filming the taxis with a camera and sending the footage. They said the work ended only after cleaning up all the trash and finishing the recycling. Narae Bar parties ended around 4 to 6 a.m., and because such events were repeated, the managers' working hours over 1 year and 2 months reportedly averaged more than 400 hours per month.
The behind-the-scenes of the foods revealed on MBC I Live Alone was also disclosed. Park Narae had been loved for her "big spender" character for lavishly preparing food and serving acquaintances on I Live Alone. But according to the former managers' claims, managers also assisted in the process of making those foods. For example, the lunchbox Park Narae prepared for Code Kunst was made by the managers.
Also, a scene in which Park Narae fried large quantities of jeon during the holidays aired, but they said, "The managers were frying them beside her for two days and one night. They had been frying the jeon since the day before." Regarding the kimchi-making episode, "While it was being filmed for broadcast, the managers were behind the scenes grinding glutinous rice paste. The radish, red pepper powder, garlic and other ingredients were also bought by the managers," adding, "Park Narae did many of the major tasks in front, but making the glutinous rice paste and preparing the ingredients were all duties the managers had to handle."
When these revelations emerged, viewers expressed a sense of betrayal. Some questioned whether presenting dishes made through the exploitation of managers as if Park Narae had made them alone on air amounted to manipulation.
Meanwhile, Park Narae is currently in legal disputes with former managers who allege power abuse. On the 3rd, the former managers exposed Park Narae's alleged power abuse, proxy prescriptions and illegal medical practices and applied to the Seoul Western District Court to provisionally seize real estate worth about 100 million won; they also filed complaints accusing her of special injury and defamation. They additionally accused Park Narae of embezzlement to the police and submitted a petition to the Seoul Gangnam branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor alleging violations of the Labor Standards Act. However, Park Narae denied the claims and countersued the former managers on charges of attempted extortion and embezzlement.
Meanwhile, Park Narae has stepped down from and suspended activities on programs she was appearing on, including MBC I Live Alone, Give Me Shelter! Homes, and tvN Amazing Saturday. Then on the 16th, in a video she said, "There are parts of the raised issues whose facts need to be calmly verified, and legal procedures are under way. I will not make additional public statements or explanations in the process," adding, "This choice is not to blame someone or assign responsibility but a decision to set things in order by excluding emotion and personal judgment and leaving it to the procedures." But additional allegations against Park Narae continued to spread, and the repercussions have kept going.
[Photo] OSEN DB, MBC
[OSEN]