The Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA) has weighed in on the swirl of allegations surrounding comedian Park Na-rae, 40, issuing a statement of concern and calling for a thorough investigation.
KEMA’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said on the 17th that it would take a hard line on the controversy, expressing “deep concern and regret” that the situation has disrupted industry norms and caused widespread confusion and fallout.
The committee urged a full probe into claims that Park set up a company naming her mother as CEO and operated for more than a year without registering as a pop-culture agency, as well as allegations that former managers were not enrolled in Korea’s four mandatory social insurance programs.
Addressing accusations of workplace bullying―including ordering personal errands and verbal or physical abuse―the association called such behavior “a toxic, entrenched habit that must disappear from the industry,” warning it would pursue all possible sanctions if the claims are substantiated.
KEMA also weighed in on reports that Park received injections from an unlicensed “injection aunt,” saying that, if true, it would be a clear criminal act and a serious breach of professional dignity. The committee likewise called for strict scrutiny of allegations over unpaid production expenses and suspected embezzlement tied to company funds allegedly directed to a former boyfriend.
The committee said the crisis exposes gaps in systems that oversee the social influence of pop-culture figures, noting that entertainers, as public-facing personalities, must meet corresponding standards of responsibility. It urged artists to refrain from continuing activities without meaningful self-reflection.
Earlier, Park’s former managers initiated legal action, alleging workplace mistreatment, proxy prescriptions, and unpaid event fees.
On December 3, they sought a provisional seizure of real estate worth about 100 million won in Seoul Western District Court. On December 5, they filed a complaint with Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station accusing Park of aggravated assault, defamation, and violations of the Information and Communications Network Act. Park countersued on December 6 at Yongsan Police Station, accusing the former managers of extortion.
In a statement the previous day, Park said, “I take seriously the concern and fatigue I’ve caused.” She added that she has voluntarily stepped down from all programs and will address the facts through legal procedures, with no further comment for now.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)