"Abuse of power" allegations that began the legal battle between broadcaster Park Na-rae and her former manager have entered a new phase involving "overseas escape suspicions" and an "exposure of character."
Park Na-rae appeared at Yongsan Police Station on the 14th and reportedly underwent an intensive second interrogation lasting about six hours until the early morning of the following day, and when it became known that the former manager was staying in the United States, some raised suspicions that he had fled.
Park Na-rae's former manager, a person surnamed A, is reported to have left for the United States on the 22nd of last month. It was about 19 days after he exposed Park Na-rae's abuse of power, and two days before his departure he underwent an initial questioning as a suspect at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. The person surnamed A explained, "The police investigation was delayed because Park Na-rae's side delayed submitting materials, so it was unavoidably conducted that day."
However, some raised concerns that A's staying in the United States might be causing the investigation to be postponed and questioned whether he had fled. In fact, the 12th was the day a second questioning of the suspect was scheduled, but because A was staying in the United States, the police appearance schedule had to be adjusted. A said, "It was not a confirmed date," and added, "I was told that because an embezzlement accusation was suddenly added before my departure, there might be a second interrogation, and I had said that if there was an investigation I would appear immediately."
Although A said he was staying in the United States and would return and appear anytime there was an investigation, suspicions resurfaced when it was reported that he had even cleared out his apartment and gym membership.
In particular, a YouTuber suggested that A, who is currently staying in the United States, did not leave simply for health reasons. The basis he presented was signs of A's move: he claimed that before leaving the country A sent all small items such as pet supplies and toiletries to the United States and moved bulky items such as appliances and furniture to his family home in Paju. The YouTuber noted, "A failed to appear at a recent labor office complaint investigation," and pointed out that although A reportedly mentioned to those around him that he would return in February, his actual return is uncertain. The YouTuber also analyzed that if allegations such as embezzlement are proven true, it is likely that A will not return, in which case the youngest manager B, who remains in Korea, could be left to bear all legal responsibility alone in a "solo burden" structure.
The YouTuber also released parts of a recorded phone conversation between A and his partner B, tarnishing A's morality. In the released recording, a person presumed to be A hurled violent obscenities such as "Park Na-rae contacted Dispatch again. I'll really kill them" and "Kill that f*** for me." This directly contradicted A's long-held image as "a righteous whistleblower exposing Park Na-rae's abuse of power and corruption."
Park Na-rae, who completed the police investigation, and the former manager A, who is staying in the United States having left only the words "I will return," — amid the tangled dispute, establishing the truth is becoming increasingly elusive.
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