“I’ve seen the belt come off countless times” ... Cosmetics company CEO also fined for workplace bullying after rupturing employee’s eardrum

[Financial News] Allegations have emerged that Park Pyeong-sun, CEO of Organic Forever, who is under police investigation on suspicion of assaulting an employee at an imported-car dealership with a belt, also routinely subjected employees he worked with in the past to verbal and physical abuse. Park is reportedly to have been fined 3 million won in connection with workplace harassment.

According to JTBC’s Sageon Banjang on the 20th, former employees who had worked with Park came forward with tips, saying that after seeing recent reports about the assault at the imported-car dealership, they decided to share what they had experienced or witnessed.
A, who said they had worked with Park for several years during Park’s tenure as an executive at a domestic cosmetics company, claimed that verbal abuse and coercive work orders were routine. A said people in the industry were not particularly surprised by the latest incident, adding, “Compared with what I went through, it wasn’t even one-hundredth as bad.”
According to A, whenever Park so much as walked toward them from the far end of the hallway, employees had to stand up one after another and greet him. They were also cursed at for sitting with their legs crossed during meetings. A said, “I’ve seen the belt come off countless times,” and claimed Park also often picked up computer monitors or threw things.
There were also allegations that Park summoned people who appeared to be gang members to the office and forced an executive out. When an employee made a phone call at the time, Park snatched the phone and struck the employee around the ear. The employee reportedly suffered an eardrum injury and later quit. A said there was no evidence left because they had not recorded or filmed what happened.

B, who said they had worked under Park until recently for about six months, also claimed to have endured verbal abuse. The broadcast also aired a recording of Park swearing at employees during a morning meeting.
In the recording, Park said, “I’m not joking. I’ve put my life on the line,” and, “Excellent isn’t good enough. It has to be perfect.” He also pressed employees to answer, cursing at them or shouting, “Get a grip!”
B claimed they had also been publicly humiliated after taking a taxi home because they were unwell, with someone saying, “It’s broad daylight—why is a young person taking a taxi?”
After quitting last May, B filed a workplace-harassment complaint with the labor office. Following an investigation by the office, Park was reportedly fined 3 million won.
Park is under police investigation on suspicion of assaulting an employee with a belt at an imported-car dealership in Yongsan District, Seoul, on the 12th, then returning the next day to threaten the employee over the police report.
The production team of Sageon Banjang said it contacted Park to hear his response to the former employees’ allegations, but the call was disconnected and they were unable to get a comment.


[email protected] Seong Min-seo Reporter