Producer Of “The First Responders” Who Died By Suicide Receives Official Apology After Task Force Determines Excessive Stress Over Work Was One Of The Causes Of Death
The bereaved family of the late producer Lee Him Chan of “The First Responders,” who died due to stress over excessive work, tight schedule, and unexpected response caused by the accident scene, received an official apology after a long wait.
On the afternoon of November 8, Studio S’s late producer Lee Him Chan’s death task force released a joint fact-finding report by labor and management at the Korea Press Center’s National Press Labor Union conference room in Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul.
The report included structural problems in the Korean drama industry, the environment of the workplace where the deceased worked, the job stress factors of the drama producer, the cause of the death of the deceased, and improvement measures to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy.
Lee (the deceased’s younger brother), Kim Young Min, head of the Hanbit Media Labor and Human Rights Center, Jung Hyung Taek, head of the SBS headquarters of the media union, Shin Sun Ah, a lawyer at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and Kim Yoo Kyung, a labor attorney at the stone flower labor law office, attended the meeting.
The joint investigation committee clarified that the deceased, who usually had great affection and responsibility for his work, died of extreme choice due to work stress. In particular, it was said, “Unexpected situations have been added almost every day since the full-fledged filming began. Although the producer was no longer in an extreme situation that was difficult for individuals to endure, the company-level grievance system did not work properly.“
Based on the results of the fact-finding survey, they derived measures to improve the system to prevent the recurrence of the same. At the meeting, Jung Hyung Taek, the head of the headquarters, explaining the agreements and improvements to be implemented in the future, said,
What the bereaved family wanted was that there should be no other case like this. I thought about ways to solve chronic and structural problems at the drama production site that the bereaved family wanted to talk about as an extreme choice. I promise to continue to do it with a sense of responsibility in the future. I promise not only to make this promise here but to monitor and check it so that it can be effectively kept in the future.”
The bereaved family explained that they demanded a sincere apology from the management over how to restore the deceased’s honor and express their condolences. With the deceased’s last passionate work, “The First Responders,” set to premiere on November 12, the first episode will share a message of condolence for the deceased, and the final scene will include photos of the deceased and the meaning of remembrance.
In response, the bereaved family said,
We asked the production company to show their sincerity. The bereaved families could not ask for everything from one to ten. It is a part that has been entrusted to the management. At the same time, I think if this is the lack of sincerity or enough is what viewers will judge. If it is not enough, it should be criticized.
Finally, the deceased brother, Lee expressed his longing for the deceased by sharing,
“I don’t know how the past few months have passed. There are mixed feelings. I was filled with the sweat and feelings of everyone who was with me during that time. Please read the report carefully from beginning to end so it can comfort my brother’s loneliness.”
Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family!
Source (A)
