Death of Oh Yoanna Highlights Gaps in the Law
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The death of South Korean freelance weathercaster Oh Yoanna, who reportedly endured relentless workplace bullying before she died by suicide, has reignited public calls for government action against workplace harassment. Oh died in September 2024 at age 28, leaving behind a 17-page note on her phone that a regional newspaper said detailed the harassment she experienced from colleagues.
Unfortunately, Oh’s experience was far from isolated. A December 2024 survey conducted by Global Research on behalf of Gabjil 119, a South Korean organization that assists victims of workplace abuse, polled 1,000 office workers nationwide and found that about 36 percent of respondents said they faced workplace bullying, up from around 30 percent the previous year, and that more workers were considering self-harm or suicide.
According to the survey, about half of victim-survivors did not report the harassment, and “non-regular” workers—freelance workers or those without formal contracts—experienced more bullying than “regular” workers. One reason for this is South Korea’s hierarchical workplace culture and stigma facing workers who speak out. A separate Gabjil 119 survey from September 2024 found that 40 percent of workers who reported workplace bullying faced retaliation.
A June 2024 survey meanwhile found that over 22 percent of respondents had experienced sexual harassment at work, up from around 14 percent in 2023. Among women, the 2024 figure was even higher at 26 percent. People who experienced abuse reported extreme psychological distress, including depression and insomnia. Yoanna Oh reportedly experienced similar distress before her death.
Although South Korea has increased legal protections against workplace harassment, including by amending the Labor Standards Act (LSA) in 2019, Oh’s death is a stark reminder of the remaining gaps. The LSA only applies to “employees” and excludes most freelance and informal workers, leaving them at increased risk of harassment and with little to no legal recourse should it occur.
While the South Korean government recently announced plans to introduce a new bill to prevent workplace harassment for freelance and platform workers, it should ensure this legislation provides comprehensive protections and is promptly adopted.
South Korea should ratify the International Labour Organization’s Convention on Violence and Harassment (No. 190), which outlines international legal standards for preventing and responding to violence and harassment in the world of work. The convention applies to all sectors and workers, irrespective of their contractual status. No worker should have to suffer harassment or violence at work, no matter their contract type.
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출처: Human Rights Watch