One in five South Korean workers has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that one in five South Korean workers has experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, shedding light on the pervasive issue of gender-based violence in professional settings.
The study, conducted by civic group Gabjil 119 and the Beautiful Foundation, surveyed 1,000 workers aged 19 and above across South Korea from May 31 to June 10. The resultspaint a concerning picture of workplace misconduct.
According to the findings, 22.6% of respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment, while 15.1% encountered sexual assault or rape, and 10.6% faced stalking in their workplace. These statistics translate to roughly one in five workers having endured sexual harassment.
One respondent, identified only as Ms. A, shared her harrowing experience. During a company dinner last year, a male colleague told her, “I prefer women with large breasts and hips, but you’re not my type, so we’ll never date.”
When she confronted him the next day, he began spreading malicious rumors about her. Ms. A has been receiving psychiatric counseling and treatment for over a year since the incident.
The survey also revealed that more than half of the respondents (54.3%) considered the level of sexual assault and rape in the workplace to be severe. Alarmingly, 23.2% of victims admitted to contemplating self-harm or suicide due to their experiences.
Women (58.2%) and non-regular workers (61.4%) were more likely to report severe cases of sexual assault and rape compared to men (41.8%) and regular employees (45.6%), highlighting the intersectionality of gender and job security in workplace vulnerability.
Stalking in the workplace was reported by 10.6% of respondents, with 51.8% of these incidents occurring within the past three years. However, only about half of the respondents were aware of recent legislation aimed at punishing and preventing stalking.
The study identified immediate superiors, rather than executives, as the most frequent perpetrators of workplace sexual crimes. They accounted for 40.7% of sexual harassment cases, 41.7% of sexual assault and rape incidents, and 34.9% of stalking occurrences.
Gabjil 119 interprets these findings as evidence that workplace sexual crimes are a form of gender-based violence stemming from unequal power dynamics between genders.
Kim Se-jung, a labor attorney at Gabjil 119, commented on the findings: “Despite the introduction and improvement of laws and systems to prevent gender-based violence over the past year, their effectiveness remains questionable.
To prevent gendered workplace sexual crimes, urgent improvements in workplace culture towards gender equality are necessary.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
