“I Doubt They Were Really Ill”... Former Employee Releases Recording of Call With Hey Jini
Former employees of kids’ YouTuber Hey Jini make successive allegations
Recording of call about workers’ compensation released
Amid a series of allegations about the working conditions at Kidsworks, run by popular children’s content creator Hey Jini (real name: Kang Hyejin), who has 4.13 million subscribers, a recording of a phone call between Hey Jini and a former employee discussing a workers’ compensation claim has been released.
On October 27, YouTuber Lee Jinho posted a transcript of the call between Hey Jini and a former employee identified as A on his channel. A claimed that their health deteriorated after the call with Hey Jini about the workers’ compensation claim.
In the recording, Hey Jini asked A, “How have you been feeling lately?” A replied, “Not well. My depression has gotten worse, so I’ve been prescribed a lot of medication.” A then mentioned an opinion letter opposing recognition of the workers’ compensation claim and asked Hey Jini whether she had written the relevant wording herself.
A asked, “Knowing that the doctor said taking a trip would help with my treatment, did you write that you ‘doubt whether I was really ill’ because I traveled while on leave?” Hey Jini replied, “Yes.” A then said, “I understand what you think. I think I need to take my medication now,” and ended the call.
Former employee A alleges 16-hour workdays on an annual salary of 20 million won
A, who recently identified themself as a longtime friend of Hey Jini and a former Kidsworks employee, claimed in an online community post that they earned an annual salary of 20 million won while working up to 16 hours a day. A said their salary was later raised to 21 million won, but that they were diagnosed with panic disorder and depression due to an excessive workload.
A also claimed that the company had offered to help with the workers’ compensation claim but instead questioned their illness and took issue with a trip they had taken for treatment. A added that Hey Jini proposed paying them 4 million won out of her own pocket in exchange for not filing a workers’ compensation claim, but that they rejected the offer.
Another employee makes further allegations: “They exploited it as long as they could get away with it”
Another employee, identified as B, also made further allegations. On October 27, B posted about their past working conditions in an online community, attaching a certificate showing their enrollment in the four major social insurance programs.
B cited the lack of compensatory time off for weekend and holiday work; effectively unlimited overtime resulting from the abuse of the inclusive wage system; pressure on employees who used meal allowances or taxi fares for overtime work; salaries set at around the minimum wage; and attempts to dissuade employees from resigning and pressure them to stay.
B claimed, “The company was known in the media as a ‘no-overtime company,’ but in reality, we were given workloads that couldn’t be finished on time. It was common to start filming 30 minutes before the end of the workday for content that had to be uploaded the next morning, and to keep working until the last train had stopped running. There was no overtime pay.” B added that when they said they intended to resign, the company demanded they work for at least three more months under the pretext of handing over their duties, and made comments that undermined their self-esteem.
Hey Jini’s side pushes back: “We remember things differently... Salaries were paid without issue”
Kidsworks issued a statement on October 27 in response to the successive allegations. The company said A worked there from September 2017 to December 2018, then took a leave of absence and resigned in May 2019 at their own request. Regarding pay, it said, “We paid the agreed annual salary without any issues with the pay structure in place when A joined. Contrary to reports, we later increased the salary by 25%,” adding that it had also paid a separate bonus during A’s leave. The company said working conditions, including duties and work processes, were decided in consultation with employees, who were also given the option to adjust their working hours or work from home.
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Kidsworks also denied allegations that it obstructed A’s workers’ compensation claim. The company said, “At the end of 2018, we respected the employee’s wish to file a workers’ compensation claim, introduced them to an external certified labor attorney, and helped them receive a direct consultation and guidance on the application process.” It added, “We understand that people may have different memories and perceptions of what happened at the time,” but pushed back, saying, “Some of the claims circulating online differ from the facts confirmed by the company.”
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