Ex-employee of kids YouTuber Hey Jini alleges 16-hour workdays, W20m salary

A former employee of Hey Jini — a children's YouTube creator with about 4.13 million subscribers, whose real name is Kang Hye-jin — has come forward claiming she worked up to 16 hours a day for an annual salary of 20 million won ($15,100), stirring controversy.

On Wednesday, a post appeared on the online community Bobaedream from a person identified only as A, who said she was a longtime friend and former employee of Hey Jini.

A said she joined the company in 2016 after Hey Jini offered her a position as a creator for a Chinese-language channel.

Once she started, however, she said she was treated as a general employee rather than a creator, and in effect handled nearly all operations of the Chinese-language YouTube channel on her own — writing scripts, translating content, casting voice actors, directing dubbing sessions and editing videos.

A said she was initially contracted at an annual salary of 20 million won, which was later raised to 21 million won, but worked up to 16 hours a day with no additional compensation. She added that she frequently worked until the early hours of the morning and came in on weekends more than five times a month.

The stress from the excessive workload took a toll on her health. A said she visited an emergency room in November 2018 after experiencing difficulty breathing during an overnight shift, and was subsequently diagnosed with panic disorder, depression and social anxiety.

A said the company, which had promised to help her file a workers' compensation claim, instead cast doubt on her illness and took issue with travel she had undertaken for treatment purposes. She added that Hey Jini proposed paying her 4 million won in exchange for dropping the compensation claim.

A said the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service recognized her occupational injury in 2020, and she shared the relevant insurance decision notice. That same April, however, her condition deteriorated to the point where she attempted to take her own life, and she is currently still receiving treatment.

A also expressed anger over a television program in which Hey Jini had been introduced as a boss who never made her employees work overtime. "The broadcast period overlapped with the time I made my attempt, and I was furious," she wrote. "What appeared on screen was so different from what I experienced."

"The reason I am writing this is not to criticize or attack any particular person," she said. "It is to share the working conditions I experienced firsthand, the process of filing a workers' compensation claim, and what I went through during that process."

The allegations have drawn public attention to A's account and to labor conditions in the children's content industry. Hey Jini has yet to issue any statement.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.