Park Na Rae’s past “Na Rae Bar” drinking rules face renewed backlash amid escalating controversies

The renewed debate stems from a 2017 episode of tvN’s Life Bar, a talk show where celebrities gathered over drinks to share candid conversations.

As controversies surrounding comedian Park Na Rae continue to mount, her past remarks about the drinking rules at her home, popularly known as “Na Rae Bar”, have resurfaced online. There is renewed criticism and intensifying scrutiny of her drinking behaviour.

The resurfaced comments come at a time when Park is already facing backlash over allegations of mistreating her managers and reportedly receiving medical treatment from an unlicensed individual.

The renewed debate stems from a 2017 episode of tvN’s Life Bar, a talk show where celebrities gathered over drinks to share candid conversations. During the episode, Park openly spoke about how she ran “Na Rae Bar,” a nickname given to her home after it was showcased on I Live Alone. At the time, the space was widely known among celebrities as a social hotspot, with Park frequently highlighting a bar-style area in her home designed specifically for hosting drinking parties.

However, the “rules” Park herself described during the broadcast are now being reexamined in a far more critical light. According to her comments on Life Bar, one of the non-negotiable rules was that everyone had to drink. She explained that her goals for the night included either “make someone drink to the end,” implying she wanted at least one guest to become heavily intoxicated, or “make two people drink and go to the end,” a remark many now interpret as hinting at setting guests up romantically. Park also said she intentionally invited an equal number of men and women for this reason.

Another rule that has sparked concern is her statement that phones were not allowed inside Na Rae Bar. As Park put it, “whatever happens at Na Rae Bar stays at Na Rae Bar.” While the comments drew little controversy when they first aired, they are now being labeled “vulgar” and troubling in light of recent allegations from former managers.

Former staff have claimed that Park exploited them during these gatherings, allegedly forcing them to prepare food, handle setup and cleanup, and even drink themselves. Some reportedly faced verbal abuse if they refused to participate. With these accusations in mind, netizens are questioning whether the drinking culture Park promoted came at the expense of those working behind the scenes.

Also read: Korean comedian Kim Soo Yong recalls surviving 20-minute cardiac arrest; says, 'Life can end in an instant'

Online reactions have been overwhelmingly critical. One netizen commented, “I don’t care if she hosts drinking parties and people hook up or whatever, as long as it’s not illegal. But thinking about how she made her managers handle all the cleanup is.” Others were more direct, saying, “So she basically ran a hookup bar?” and “The fact that she talked about that proudly is so off-putting…”

Additional comments included, “This is so f*cking toxic,” “Isn’t that basically a nightclub?” and “My favorite actor went once and said he’d never go again.”