On the evening of December 15, New Oriental founder Yu Minhong appeared on the EAST BUY livestream under the theme "Mr. Yu's Antarctic Diary," where he shared and responded to questions about the Antarctic tour. At the start of the broadcast, Yu greeted viewers by saying, "It's been a while since I’ve been on the main account—some friends don’t recognize me anymore, and soon they might not even acknowledge me."
During the session, Yu addressed the company’s future Antarctic travel plans: "Next winter, there will be an Antarctic trip, but not every host can go. We’ll likely select around two hosts through a lottery, and we’ll also bring ten netizens along."
Yu Minhong recently faced public scrutiny after posting an internal letter during his Antarctic trip. On November 16, marking NEW ORIENTAL-S’s 32nd anniversary, Yu sent a company-wide letter from Antarctica, stating, "Right now, I’m standing in the icy world of the South Pole." While intended as a celebratory and motivational message, the letter sparked controversy. Netizens noted it mentioned "I" 17 times and "Antarctica" five times, with little mention of employees' current work pressures. One netizen wrote a satirical response: "You’re admiring icebergs in Antarctica, while I’m staring at numbers in my rented room."
On November 20, Yu clarified on social media that rumors of him spending 1.48 million yuan on an Antarctic cruise were false, explaining that his 12-day trip on the Le Commandant Charcot cost between 200,000 and 250,000 yuan (depending on cabin class). He also revealed plans to sponsor 10 outstanding grassroots employees from NEW ORIENTAL and EAST BUY, along with 10 top members, for an Antarctic visit next winter—though not necessarily on the same ship.
On November 23, Yu issued another internal letter titled "Let’s Work Together," apologizing to employees and addressing the backlash. He acknowledged that his Antarctic references had upset some staff, leading to complaints like "The boss is in Antarctica, while we’re struggling" and "The boss watches penguins, we work overtime." He denied any intention to flaunt his trip and refuted claims of "using employees’ hard-earned money for tourism," emphasizing that leadership also works hard and takes risks to ensure company stability.
Yu further stated that employees who choose to stay with NEW ORIENTAL have a responsibility to uphold its development and reputation. While encouraging internal feedback, he cautioned against airing grievances on social media, stressing that company stability is key to job security.
On December 6, Yu reassured the public via social media that employees who raised concerns were unharmed and still working normally, adding that their feedback was being reviewed for corrective action.
Meanwhile, corporate records show that in early December, EAST BUY (Beijing) Technology Co. underwent changes, with Sun Dongxu stepping down as legal representative, executive director, and manager. Yu Minhong assumed these roles while expanding the company’s business scope to include catering management, food delivery, and dining services. On November 6, Yu confirmed Sun’s departure for personal reasons, noting their relationship remained amicable.
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