Comedian Park Na-rae smiled after finishing a 7-hour, 30-minute police interrogation. She appeared before the press with a relaxed demeanor and a smile, prompting continued debate.
Park Na-rae appeared at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station on the 20th and was questioned on charges including special injury and violation of the Medical Service Act. It was her first questioning as a suspect after postponing an appearance scheduled for the 12th.
On the day, Park Na-rae appeared calm. She wore a white shirt with a cardigan and a black coat for a neat appearance, covered her face with glasses with no makeup and her hair tied back. She also neatly arranged her bangs with hairpins. The subdued atmosphere, not the glamorous image seen on broadcasts, drew attention.
In particular, on the day Park Na-rae showed a relaxed demeanor and even smiled in front of reporters, drawing attention. A smile at the corners of her mouth was also captured as she left the police station.
Park Na-rae said, "I answered the investigators' questions faithfully and told the truth," and regarding allegations of abuse of power, said, "I think it is something that will be revealed through the investigation. I found parts that are not true in today's questioning and will correct them."
As she claims "innocence" in the dispute with her former managers, Park Na-rae remained composed. She was silent about allegations of embezzlement that she registered her mother and ex-boyfriend as employees of a one-person agency and paid salaries, and about illegal medical charges, but she greeted reporters with "Happy New Year." Her smile and New Year greeting captured as she left the police station reflected a consistently relaxed attitude.
After images of Park Na-rae after her first police questioning were released, online debate continued. Critics questioned her smiling after the investigation, saying, "What does the smiling mouth as she leaves the police station mean?" and "Is this a situation to be smiling?" Some netizens interpreted her smile and composure as stemming from confidence.
Park Na-rae is currently embroiled in several controversies. Last year, allegations from former managers surfaced accusing her of workplace harassment and verbal abuse, special assault, unpaid production fees, unpaid severance, and proxy prescriptions, sparking various suspicions. She was sued on charges including special injury, defamation by false statements, and violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), and in response she filed countercharges at Yongsan Police Station against her former managers for attempted extortion and occupational embezzlement.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
[OSEN]