Hey Jini rebuts labor exploitation allegations, but... Recording of employee who filed workers’ compensation claim sparks controversy: “Are they really sick?”

[Financial News] Kids’ creator Hey Jini (36, whose real name is Kang Hye-jin), who has 4.13 million subscribers, has issued a statement addressing allegations of labor exploitation. But the controversy has flared up again after a recording of a call with a former employee was made public.
On the 27th, Hey Jini posted a statement on the YouTube community in response to a former employee’s allegations of labor exploitation.
Hey Jini began by saying, “The company takes seriously the pain of a former colleague who worked with us,” adding, “Regardless of the facts of the matter, we are sincerely sorry and deeply saddened that someone who worked with us lost their health and has been going through a difficult time.”
Hey Jini explained, “Because this is a sensitive matter concerning an individual’s health and privacy, we have been reluctant to explain the specific circumstances in order to protect the person involved.” The company said, “The colleague in question worked for a little over a year, from September 2017 to December 2018, and then took a leave of absence. In May 2019, while on leave, they voluntarily resigned of their own accord.”
The company added, “When the colleague joined nine years ago, we paid an annual salary under the existing wage system without any issues. After that, contrary to what has since been reported, we raised the annual salary by 25% and also paid a separate bonus during the leave of absence.”
The company also said, “In its early days, we discussed the content of the colleague’s duties and how they would be carried out with them each time, and gave them broad autonomy over their schedule and the way they did their work. We allowed them to adjust their working hours or choose to work from home depending on the circumstances.” It added, “We repeatedly encouraged them to rest by taking leave or a leave of absence if work was affecting their health, and told them it was fine to reduce their hours or pause their work schedule. We also helped with the rental deposit for a home near the office to ease the burden of commuting.”
In response to the former employee’s claim that the company obstructed a workers’ compensation claim, the company said, “We did not obstruct the claim. Out of respect for the colleague’s wish to apply for workers’ compensation at the end of 2018, we introduced an outside certified labor consultant, helped them arrange a consultation directly, and made sure they received clear guidance on the application process.”
The company continued, “We understand that people may have different memories and perceptions of what happened at the time. However, some of the information spreading online differs from the facts we have confirmed, and we want to correct that. We earnestly ask that unverified information and speculation not damage the reputations of our company or the creator.”
The company concluded, “We are continually reviewing and improving our working environment and related systems with advice from a certified labor consultant.” It added, “We will use this matter as an opportunity to review the work environment and make improvements if there were areas where we fell short.”
Former employee A, who said he had been friends with Hey Jini, recently claimed in an online community that Hey Jini had asked him in December 2016 to work with her as a creator for a Chinese-language channel, and that he had accepted. But he said that at the company he ended up handling the entire production and operation of the channel by himself, including writing and translating video scripts, casting voice actors, directing dubbing, editing videos, and uploading them.
He said that after he went to the emergency room with difficulty breathing while working late, he was diagnosed with panic disorder, depression, social anxiety, and other conditions, but that the company’s attitude changed during the process of applying for workers’ compensation. He disclosed that Hey Jini proposed paying him 4 million won out of her own pocket in exchange for not filing a workers’ compensation claim, but he refused.
A claimed that after about a year of review, his workers’ compensation claim was approved in January 2020. However, he said his condition deteriorated to the point that he attempted suicide in April of the same year, and that he continues to receive treatment.
Hey Jini later directly rebutted A’s allegations. In the process, a YouTuber released a recording of a call between the two, intensifying the controversy.
The released recording includes A asking whether the company had written in a statement submitted to the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service that it “doubted whether the person was really sick,” and Hey Jini acknowledging that it had.
A asked, “Knowing that the doctor had said taking a trip would help with treatment, did you include the phrase ‘I doubt whether the person was really sick’ because of the trips taken during the leave period?” When Hey Jini replied, “Yes,” A said, “I understand what you think now. I think I need to take my medication now,” and ended the call.
Hey Jini said she had not obstructed the workers’ compensation claim and had, in fact, introduced A to an outside certified labor consultant and explained the relevant procedures. However, the released recording has sparked controversy because it appears to show that the company submitted a statement questioning A’s health during the workers’ compensation review.
[email protected] An Ga-eul Reporter