Comedian Park Na-rae’s alleged “manager mistreatment” controversy has entered a new phase, as fresh counterclaims cast doubt on parts of her former manager’s story.
On Jan. 8, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho released a video breaking down KakaoTalk exchanges between Park and her former manager, identified only as “A,” along with tax-related details. Lee said there were “discrepancies” between A’s public claims about salary, social insurance and incentives and what records appear to show.
A had previously claimed that when Park left JDB Entertainment to launch her one-person agency Npark, she promised a monthly salary of 5 million won plus 10% of revenue. A says she ultimately received only a little over 3 million won per month.
But in the KakaoTalk messages shared in the video, Park is seen asking why A’s pay was “similar to the stylist’s” and suggesting she should earn more. A responds that she’s “already grateful” and that the current amount is enough to cover meeting expenses―adding she’d be fine with even less. The exchange appears to conflict with A’s claim that she was shorted on an agreed-upon salary.
The dispute over social insurance also appears murky. A has said she repeatedly asked to be enrolled in Korea’s four major social insurance programs but was ignored. However, the video includes messages in which Npark’s accounting manager proposes paying A as an employee―an arrangement that would include those benefits. According to the clip, A instead requested to be paid as an independent contractor with 3.3% withholding, which does not include those benefits.
The money trail is the biggest flashpoint. Lee alleges that, after the controversy erupted, a tax review found A owned a personal corporation and that ad agency fees tied to Park were deposited into that company. A has reportedly said she verbally told Park about the corporation and, without objection from her, processed payments as a freelancer. Park’s side and a tax official, however, say they only learned of A’s corporation after she left the agency.
The video also features a rebuttal to claims that Park allegedly cursed and harshly ordered A to fetch wine glasses and lighting during a shoot. A salon director who says they were on-site at the time told Lee they “didn’t sense a coercive atmosphere.”
Meanwhile, Park has filed criminal complaints against former managers for attempted extortion and embezzlement. Those former managers have pursued their own civil and criminal actions, alleging workplace bullying and unpaid expenses―setting up an ongoing legal battle.
Separately, police have intensified an investigation into allegations―raised via entertainment outlet Dispatch by one of Park’s former managers―that she received medical procedures from an unlicensed provider. Authorities have reportedly imposed a travel ban on the provider, referred to as “B,” and carried out search-and-seizure actions as part of the probe.
Last month, Park announced via video that she voluntarily stepped down from all current shows to avoid burdening colleagues and production teams amid the controversy. She said multiple claims require fact-checking and are being addressed through legal channels, adding that her decision was meant to “reset without emotion or personal judgment,” rather than to assign blame.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)