Park Na-rae's former managers deny her claim settling workplace harassment allegations
Despite an apology from South Korean comedian Park Na-rae addressing her former managers' allegations of workplace harassment and assault, the managers denied her claim that the matter was resolved, stating the legal dispute is ongoing.
In a report by Korea JoongAng Daily, Na-rae’s former managers denied her claim that they had already cleared up the misunderstandings.
According to them, they spoke with the comedian for three hours, but "no apology was given, and no agreement was reached."
"We told her, ‘We’ve been holding back for a month. We can’t do this anymore.' Park responded, ‘Then let’s take it to court,'" one manager said.
"Seeing her say that the misunderstandings had been cleared up left us speechless. It felt like she met with us just so she could issue that statement. It seems like a strategy to buy time and shift public opinion," the other stated.
This comes after Na-rae posted a statement on Monday claiming that she has now resolved the issue with her former managers who sued her for workplace harassment, aggravated assault, proxy prescriptions, and unpaid production expenses.
"In early November, two managers who had been like family to me abruptly resigned, and because I wasn’t given a chance to speak with the parties involved until recently, misunderstandings accumulated between us," her message read, as translated by Soompi.
"Thanks to the help of many people, I was finally able to meet face-to-face with a former manager yesterday. We were able to resolve the misunderstandings and mistrust between us, but I still believe everything is my fault and am reflecting deeply," she continued.
Na-rae continued that she will be suspending her broadcast activities until everything is clearly resolved, as she cannot continue to be a burden to her programs and colleagues.
"I bow my head and offer my deepest apologies once again to everyone who has believed in and supported me," she said.
While Na-rae's agency has yet to respond to the former managers' claims, they had previously denied the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and subsequently filed a countersuit on charges of blackmail.
The agency alleged that the former managers were requesting a large sum of money based on false claims.
The Seoul Gangnam Police Station has now launched an investigation into the complaints against Na-rae.
The entertainer made her debut in 2006 in the sketch-comedy show Gag Concert before rising to fame as a household name in South Korean entertainment. One of her more popular roles is in the romantic comedy series What's Wrong with Secretary Kim.
