Comedian Park Na Rae has been accused of engaging in sexual acts inside a vehicle, and the key issue of this controversy is being discussed by experts.
On the 16th, attorney Kang Eun Ha appeared on YTN Radio to discuss the dispute between Park Na Rae and her former managers.
Kang especially focused on a petition previously reported by Channel A‘s News A, filed by Park Na Rae’s former managers with the Labor Office. The broadcast revealed specific details about previously unknown workplace harassment.
The managers alleged in the petition that “while riding in the driver’s and passenger seats, Park Na Rae engaged in sexual acts in the back seat with a man.”
They added, “Given the confined space of the vehicle, it was impossible to avoid or leave the situation, yet Park Na Rae, leveraging her superior position, forced the unwanted situation to be perceived visually and audibly.” They emphasized that this was not merely a private misconduct but constituted workplace harassment abusing her dominant status.
The petition also claimed that “while engaging in the act, Park repeatedly kicked the driver’s seat where the manager was seated, creating a dangerous situation that nearly caused a serious traffic accident.” The Labor Office plans to summon the petitioners later this month to investigate the facts.
Attorney Kang explained, “Workplace harassment under the Labor Standards Act is not limited to a specific office location. The key points are whether the incident is substantially related to work and whether the user or superior used their position in the relationship.”
He noted, “Actual precedents and rulings by the Ministry of Employment and Labor have recognized settings such as company dinners, business trip accommodations, vehicles in transit, and even messenger conversations as workplace spaces or extensions thereof.”
He further pointed out, “In Park Na Rae’s case, it must legally be determined whether the behavior was beyond work-related necessity, whether the superior position was used to force unwanted situations, and whether it caused mental distress or worsened the working environment.”
Attorney Kang emphasized that the managers’ stance is crucial, advising, “Hasty explanations or emotional disclosures aimed at swaying public opinion may backfire as unfavorable circumstantial evidence in court. It is important to refrain from emotional reactions and respond with a thoroughly evidence-based legal strategy.”