Seoul museum worker and youngest civil servant to pass exam allegedly dies by suicide from workplace bullying
The youngest civil servant to pass the national exam at the age of 21 was found dead in her home claim news reports in South Korea. The woman whose identity was revealed as Ms Kim, a grade 7 civil servant who worked at the Seoul Museum of Art in the research department was reportedly found dead in an apparent suicide on Monday, according to Jongno Police Station.
In October 2020, Ms Kim appeared on tvN's talk show 'You Quiz on the Block' and enjoyed a brief period of fame for having passed the civil exams at the age of 20 in 2019, despite her background in theater as a performer. She was hired and assigned a role in the Seoul Museum of Art where she claimed to be the only woman employee.
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Speaking about her work at the Seoul Museum of Art, Ms Kim said on the show, "At first it was hard for me to adjust. Working life is very different form school life. There's no one around my age, and I'm the only female in the department, so it's a bit difficult." tvN has removed the episode that Ms Kim appears on from social media and their pay per view platforms.
Allegations of workplace bullying and harassment
According to Korea Times, it was Segye Ilbo, a local paper that had reported regarding possibilities of workplace bullying. However, these claims were denied by the museum. A museum representative said on Tuesday, "About half of the employees have been working from home due to COVID-19, and the investigation is still ongoing. We are still trying to figure out what led to her death."
The representative also added, "We have never heard about bullying accusations. When employees have trouble at work, they bring it up to the management or the administrative office, but there were no such attempts from her. She never asked to transfer to a different department, nor did she complain about her work. So it's all shocking."
It was also revealed that the museum officials are in talks with Ms Kim's family regarding what must be done next. It was reported that the museum officials now believed that the funeral was more important at the moment. They said, "Rather than an internal investigation, we feel that preparing for the funeral is more appropriate.”
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.