"Immediately Dismiss" Sex Crime Public Official, Undermining the Purpose of the 'One Strike Out' Policy

Seoul City Hall Official Who Committed Sexual Assault 'Suspended from Position'
Maintains Civil Servant Status Despite Suspension

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] A male public official affiliated with Seoul City Hall has been booked by the police on charges of sexually assaulting a female public official from another department. In response, the Seoul city authorities have decided to suspend the male official from his position. However, since suspension is effectively a pre-disciplinary measure that maintains the official’s status, concerns have been raised that the punishment level may be too lenient. Experts emphasize the need for internal organizational standards to investigate and judge sexual crime cases independently of judicial rulings.

On the 23rd, public official A, who worked in the office of Mayor Park Won-soon, was booked on charges of sexually assaulting a female employee from another department by taking her to a motel after a company dinner with city hall staff on the eve of the April 15 general election (the 14th).

Kim Tae-gyun, Director of the Administrative Bureau, held an emergency briefing on the 24th, stating, "Upon receiving notification of the police investigation, the employee was immediately suspended from his position. We will apply a zero-tolerance policy based on the police investigation and our internal inquiry to handle the case strictly." He added, "Going forward, we will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct, applying a one-strike-out rule and punishing offenders severely."

However, the suspension imposed by Seoul City only removes the individual’s status or duties and serves merely as a disciplinary measure that results in personnel disadvantages.

Moreover, even during suspension, the public official’s status is maintained, and they receive partial salary according to public official compensation regulations. If the court ruling does not find disqualification for appointment, reinstatement is possible.

Given these circumstances, some voices criticize Seoul City’s suspension measure as too lenient in terms of punishment severity.

One netizen expressed frustration, saying, "Why is a public official who committed a serious crime like sexual assault not dismissed but only suspended? Regardless of the court’s ruling, isn’t it a huge problem that a public official is involved in such an incident?"

Earlier, after media reports about the incident surfaced on the 23rd, Seoul City initially responded by transferring the accused employee to another department, drawing public criticism. As the backlash grew, Seoul City later changed the transfer to a waiting order.

Another netizen criticized, "The so-called strict punishment under the zero-tolerance one-strike-out policy is nothing more than a cautious 'suspension' decision. If the perpetrator is not immediately expelled, what is the point of having a one-strike-out system?"

Experts stress the need for internal organizational standards to investigate and judge sexual crime cases independently of court or investigative agency rulings.

Kim Shin-ah, an activist at the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, pointed out, "Organizations have no choice but to impose temporary measures like suspension because dismissal or termination may be challenged as unfair by the perpetrator. However, the fact that a member of a national institution is involved in a sexual crime is a serious social issue, and the organization bears some responsibility."

She continued, "If the organization shows no willingness to resolve the issue internally and instead defers personnel decisions to investigative agencies’ rulings, it indicates a lack of commitment to solving the problem and ultimately considers only the perpetrator’s position. Regardless of court or investigative rulings, standards must be established within the organization to investigate and judge such cases," she emphasized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.