"Here is the 'Hwakjjinja'": Minor Disciplinary Action Requested for Cheongju Official Who Poked Armpit

A disciplinary action request has been issued against a Grade 6 team leader in Cheongju City who teased a female employee from another department by calling her a 'hwakjjinja' (a person who gained weight during the pandemic).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A level 6 team leader in Cheongju City has been subject to disciplinary action demands for mocking a female employee from another department by calling her a 'hwakjjinja'.

On the 23rd, the Cheongju City Auditor's Office announced that it requested a minor disciplinary action against employee A (53, female), a level 6 staff member, to the HR department for making appearance-disparaging remarks by calling a female employee 'hwakjjinja'.

Following the disciplinary demand, the city will hold a personnel committee meeting within 60 days.

Previously, on March 18, employee A was accused of insulting subordinate employee B by poking the back of her armpit in the Cheongju City Hall Secretariat and saying, "'Hwakjjinja' is here, here she is," and was brought to trial on the 23rd of last month.

'Hwakjjinja' is a newly coined term referring to people who have rapidly gained weight due to a sharp decrease in physical activity while refraining from going out during the COVID-19 pandemic and staying indoors.

Meanwhile, in May, the Sexual Harassment Grievance Committee determined that A's remarks constituted sexual harassment and requested the city to strengthen gender-sensitivity education and other measures to prevent recurrence.

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