Statement by the NHRCK Chairperson on the Death of a Weather Forecaster at a Broadcasting Company
-Institutional blind spots must be addressed to ensure all workers are protected from workplace harassment -
□ Last September, a freelance weather forecaster at a broadcasting company tragically took her own life. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and express our heartfelt sympathies.
□ Freelancers working for terrestrial broadcasting stations account for 32.1% of the 9,199 contract employees in the broadcasting industry, totaling 2,953 individuals. Among announcers, the proportion of freelancers is as high as 92.9%.
□ In general, freelancers are individuals who are not officially affiliated with a specific company, organization, or group and do not receive a fixed salary. While freelancing offers the advantage of expanding one’s scope of work at their discretion, potentially leading to higher earnings, the reality that most freelancers face is poor working conditions. They often face low wages and a lack of social safety nets. Furthermore, they are legally classified as sole proprietors rather than employees, which excludes them from protection under various labor laws, such as the Labor Standards Act. As a result, when subjected to workplace harassment, freelancers frequently endure such mistreatment without access to reports of harassment.
□ In 2019, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment. Article 2 of the Convention defines its scope as covering "employees as defined by national law and practice, as well as persons working irrespective of their contractual status, interns, apprentices, trainees, workers whose employment has ended, volunteers, job seekers, applicants, and persons exercising the authority and responsibilities of an employer."
The ILO Convention applies broadly to ensure that all workers in the workplace are protected, as ‘protection from violence and harassment’ is a fundamental human right.
□ The dignity of all workers is a fundamental right that must be upheld in any work environment. The NHRCK will continue to explore various measures to create a workplace where freelancers and other labor providers can maintain their dignity despite lacking legal protection against workplace harassment.
February 10, 2025
Ahn Chang-ho
Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
