As the so-called “power abuse controversy” surrounding comedian Park Na-rae continues to escalate, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho has presented a new interpretation claiming that the turning point was not labor disputes, but the shocking burglary at her Itaewon residence.
On December 15, Lee Jin-ho released a video on his YouTube channel Entertainment President titled “Exclusive Shock! ‘They Were Like Family Managers’ The Truth Behind Park Na Rae’s 5.5 Billion KRW Itaewon Burglary.” In the video, he reconstructed the timeline of events by comparing statements from Park Na-rae’s side and her former and current managers.
Lee Jin-ho first revisited the initial issue that sparked the controversy: allegations that managers were not enrolled in the four major insurances. After ending her nine-year exclusive contract with JDB Entertainment, Park Na-rae moved to a one-person agency, M-Park, where her mother was registered as CEO. She retained one manager from her JDB days and hired a new on-site manager.
According to the managers’ claims, both were paid as freelancers with a 3.3% withholding tax and worked without written labor contracts until September of this year. In contrast, Park Na-rae’s mother and her then-boyfriend were reportedly registered as executives or employees and were enrolled in full insurance coverage. Lee Jin-ho added that the ex-boyfriend allegedly received a monthly salary of around 4 million KRW.
Lee Jin-ho pointed out that while legal punishment is ambiguous due to the company qualifying as a business with fewer than five employees, “the core issue lies in the alleged promise of transitioning managers into full-time employees with insurance coverage, which was never fulfilled.”
According to Lee Jin-ho, the true breaking point came in April, when Park Na-rae’s Itaewon home valued at approximately 5.5 billion KRW was burglarized. High-value items, including jewelry worth tens of millions of won, were stolen, forcing Park Na-rae to miss a scheduled live radio broadcast. Media reports at the time hinted at the possibility of an “inside job,” significantly amplifying public tension.
Lee Jin-ho explained that only three internal personnel regularly accessed the home: two managers and one stylist all of whom reportedly lacked formal labor contracts or insurance. “If even one of them had been identified as a suspect, the fact that non-contract workers freely accessed her home would have been devastating for Park Na-rae,” Lee Jin-ho claimed.
Adding to the controversy, Lee Jin-ho relayed the managers’ assertion that Park Na-rae’s then-boyfriend asked them to handwrite personal information including names, resident registration numbers, and addresses under the pretense of preparing labor contracts. The information was allegedly later submitted to police as reference material for potential suspects.
One former manager, identified as S, claimed he only discovered this after contacting the investigator and being told, “You are also on the suspect list, so changing the reporting party is difficult.” Lee Jin-ho stated that this revelation left the managers feeling deeply betrayed, as they believed their personal data had been misused.
Ultimately, police arrested a third-party suspect unrelated to Park Na-rae or her staff. However, Lee Jin-ho argued that by the time the investigation concluded, resentment had already built up. “Despite the labor and insurance issues being fully recognized internally, they weren’t addressed until September. That delay, combined with the burglary incident, became the point of no return,” he said.
As the dispute grows increasingly complex, Lee Jin-ho’s claims add another layer to an already tangled situation one that continues to unfold amid legal battles and sharply divided public opinion.
Sources: Naver
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