A former manager who exposed comedian Park Na-rae's alleged abuse of power has left for the United States, making a prolonged fact-finding process inevitable.
Park Na-rae's former managers on the 3rd of last month alleged workplace harassment, special injury, proxy prescriptions, unpaid event fees and announced they would file a damages suit worth about 100 million won, kicking off the so-called "chain controversy" around Park Na-rae. Starting with allegations of power abuse, the "injection aunt" allegation that illegal medical procedures were received during the process also surfaced, and this exploded across the entertainment industry, growing into the "injection aunt gate."
Park Na-rae initially expressed her position early in the controversy and said she reached a settlement after a late-night meeting with her former managers. But the former managers said that was not true and released additional allegations. In the end, Park Na-rae closed her mouth after the final statement video she posted on her YouTube channel on the 16th of last month. Instead, she filed criminal complaints against the former managers for attempted extortion and embezzlement in connection with their work, saying she would prove it legally and fight to the end.
Afterward, Park Na-rae's private life was leaked and recordings of phone calls between Park Na-rae and her former managers were released, and although sympathy toward Park Na-rae seemed to arise, the situation repeatedly reversed as additional statements from the former managers and reports emerged that the managers had been required in the course of their work to run personal errands for Park Na-rae as well as handle family-related tasks and proxy prescriptions.
Meanwhile, manager A reportedly left for the United States on the 22nd of last month. It was about 19 days after the exposé of Park Na-rae's alleged abuse of power; A received the first investigator interview as a defendant at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul two days before departure. The interview took place on a Saturday, a day when interviews are not usually conducted, but it was reported that it was rushed due to A's travel schedule. A explained, "The police investigation was delayed because Park Na-rae's side was slow to submit materials, so it had to be conducted that day."
There were concerns that A staying in the United States would delay the investigation. In fact, the 12th was the day the defendant's second interview was to be held, but it was postponed due to A's stay in the United States and the police attendance schedule had to be adjusted. A said, "It wasn't a confirmed date," and added, "I heard that a second interview might take place because an embezzlement accusation was suddenly added before departure, and I said that if there was an investigation I would attend immediately."
The Park Na-rae abuse-of-power controversy has entered new phases as exposés have followed exposés over the span of a month. But amid the continuing revelations, the public consuming them is expressing fatigue. A prolonged Park Na-rae abuse-of-power controversy seems inevitable, and since the injection aunt allegation has not yet been resolved, Park Na-rae's return and its timing appear distant.
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