Comedian Park Na-rae spoke up for the first time in about a month. It was her first statement since the 2-minute-23-second "final statement," and attention is focused on whether it will be a misstep or The Divine Move.
On the 14th, a media outlet released an interview conducted with Park Na-rae. The interview was conducted around the time Park Na-rae released her final statement video on the 16th of last month, and it is the first time in about a month that Park Na-rae has offered an additional statement.
In the interview Park Na-rae strongly denied workplace harassment and special injury, wage withholding and settlement issues, lack of enrollment in the four major social insurance programs, excessive working hours and personal errands, and allegations of embezzlement by family members and acquaintances, and exposed the former managers' duplicitous behavior.
First, regarding workplace harassment and special injury she drew a line, saying, "If it is true, I will accept all punishment and make a public apology," and "It was merely work-related conversation such as pointing out inadequate props." Then, regarding wage withholding and settlement issues, she explained, "The manager first set the figure at 3,300,000 won, and he said the corporate card amount spent personally by the manager over one year and three months reached 70 million won, so he did not spare expenses for production. There was no promise to pay a 10% incentive, and although it was proposed as a favor at Chuseok, it did not materialize."
Regarding the lack of enrollment in the four major social insurance programs she explained, "An accountant first suggested enrollment, but the managers refused citing tax issues and problems with the U.S. corporation," and regarding excessive working hours and personal errands she strongly denied them, saying, "There were only long waiting times because of filming schedules; actual working hours were not excessive. Personal work was either an extension of work or handled entirely by my mother." Regarding allegations of embezzlement by family members and acquaintances she claimed, "An ex-boyfriend was actually the employee in charge of accounting and contract work, and the jeonse deposit transfer was a company-level loan. My mother was paid for actual labor such as acting as Mokpo's promotional ambassador and preparing materials for YouTube."
In particular, Park Na-rae expressed a sense of betrayal over receiving a settlement of about 500 million won and an agreement demanding acknowledgment of false facts after what she thought had been resolved with the former managers through tearful apologies at the so-called "dawn meeting," and this again damaged the former managers' credibility.
Among these, what Park Na-rae admitted were failure to draft employment contracts, orders to proxy prescriptions, and the fact of "injection aunt" procedures. Regarding failure to draft employment contracts she admitted fault and explained, "It was overlooked amid the confusion of leaving my former agency and the managers' role changes," and regarding orders to proxy prescriptions she said, "About twice," and "It was difficult to visit the hospital because of broadcast schedules." Regarding "injection aunt" she acknowledged meeting and the procedure and explained, "I did not know she was an unlicensed practitioner without a medical license."
Park Na-rae had been extremely reserved after her final statement, worried that her positions and remarks could affect legal battles in any direction. But after continued attacks from managers' revelations and private life leaks, she eventually spoke up. She intends to defend herself through the statement, but it is likely to be a blow to her public image. She admitted to proxy prescriptions, and her hard-to-believe explanation for "injection aunt," saying she thought the person was a doctor, did not completely dispel suspicions that she was aware of illegal procedures yet tolerated them. The admission of illegal acts and the limits of the defense that she "didn't know" dominate the interview, and the prevailing view is that she lost more than she gained.
In conclusion, Park Na-rae, who spoke up after a month, has provided some clues to dispel abuse-of-power allegations, but she has effectively fanned the flames on issues such as violations of the Medical Service Act. Illegal medical acts are difficult to dismiss with the explanation that she "didn't know," and depending on the police investigation results they could grow into the biggest risk that makes return impossible. Also, by reversing her own word that there would be no further statements and dragging the conflict deeper into the mud, the public's fatigue has become enormous.
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