"The air conditioner isn’t even working"... Lee Na-yeon faces backlash over remarks about JTBC’s restructuring vlog

[Financial News] Lee Na-yeon, a TV personality who rose to fame through TVING’s "Transit Love 2" and is currently working as a JTBC sports announcer and reporter, is facing criticism online for making remarks about her company, which is undergoing court-led rehabilitation amid financial difficulties.
On the 13th, Lee uploaded a workday vlog titled "I’m Not Unemployed Yet" to her YouTube channel, "I’ll Start with Lee Na-yeon."
In the video, Lee complained about the heat in the first-floor lobby of the JTBC headquarters and joked, "Can I even say this? Maybe the company is struggling, so the air conditioner isn’t working. It’s so hot." She then added, "Could this really have an impact? I won’t get fired for saying this, right?" The video also included the caption, "Still not unemployed..!"
In the video description, she also reflected, saying, "I’ve been doing my best with the work I was given, and when I looked around, I realized the company had gone bankrupt," adding, "If I end up leaving this company, I wondered whether I would be able to work again, and I felt a little depressed."
Once the video was made public, cold reactions quickly spread across online communities and the comments section, with many criticizing Lee’s remarks.
One internet user commented, "The company is in a difficult situation, and employees are struggling to hold on in their own positions. She should have considered the impact of her words from such an influential position," adding, "In reality, the air conditioning is working fine inside, and making light of the workplace atmosphere as a freelancer is disrespectful to the entire organization."
Others also criticized her as being careless, saying, "Is she turning her work life and the company’s troubles into content for her personal channel?" and "She failed to understand how anxious employees feel amid the financial difficulties."
Earlier, JTBC declared a default last month after failing to repay 20.6 billion won in asset-backed borrowing, and a group-wide restructuring under JoongAng Group is now underway, including a petition for corporate rehabilitation filed with the court.
Meanwhile, Lee Na-yeon made her debut as a JTBC Golf announcer in 2021 and became widely known after appearing on the 2022 entertainment program "Transit Love 2." She is currently active as a broadcaster and influencer, and is publicly dating ice hockey player Nam Hee-doo.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter