Comedian Park Na-rae faces workplace harassment claims from former managers

A claim has been raised against comedian Park Na-rae, alleging that her former managers were forced to “unwillingly perceive” an unspecified situation involving the 40-year-old and a man in a car.

Comedian Park Na-rae [JOONGANG ILBO]

A claim has been raised against comedian Park Na-rae, alleging that her former managers were forced to “unwillingly perceive” an unspecified situation involving the 40-year-old and a man in a car.

According to a Channel A report on Friday, former managers filed a complaint with the Gangnam branch of the Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor on Dec. 18, alleging “workplace harassment” by Park.

The complaint reportedly states that “while the managers were traveling in the driver’s seat and the front passenger's seat, Park engaged in a [redacted] act with a man in the back seat,” adding that “given the confined nature of a vehicle, it was impossible to avoid the situation or leave one’s seat, yet Park used her position as an employer to force others to unwillingly perceive the situation visually and audibly.”

The nature of the act was redacted in the initial report.

The former managers argued that such behavior was not a mere private indiscretion but constituted “workplace harassment” carried out by abusing a superior position.

The complaint also allegedly includes a claim that “while engaging in the act, Park repeatedly kicked the driver’s seat where the manager was seated,” creating a dangerous situation in which a serious traffic accident could have occurred.

The labor office is reportedly planning to summon the complainants later this month to investigate the facts of the case.

Meanwhile, Park’s side has yet to release an official statement regarding the allegations.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HYEON YE-SEUL [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]