Annual Increase in Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Reports Within the Police

7 out of 10 Disciplinary Decisions Are Severe Punishments of Suspension or Higher
Assemblyman Oh Young-hwan Calls for Measures Such as Expanding Investigation Personnel

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Oh Young-hwan. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence incidents within the police force have been increasing every year.

According to statistics obtained by Oh Young-hwan, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Human Rights Investigation Division responsible for investigating sexual harassment and sexual violence cases within the National Police Agency, the number of reports rose from 59 cases in 2018 to 63 cases in 2019, and 83 cases last year. In particular, the number of reports from January to July this year reached 75 cases, expected to surpass previous years.

Out of the 280 reported cases, 238 have been closed, while 42 cases are still undergoing counseling, investigation, or prosecution. Among the closed cases, 106 were resolved through settlements, and disciplinary actions have been taken or are underway for 115 cases. The types of disciplinary actions include dismissal in 8 cases, removal in 25 cases, demotion in 10 cases, suspension in 34 cases, pay reduction in 16 cases, reprimand in 12 cases, and warning in 3 cases, with severe disciplinary actions of suspension or higher accounting for 70%.

Since March 2018, the National Police Agency has been operating the "National Police Agency Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Reporting Center," which handles all tasks related to receiving, counseling, investigating, and providing psychological support for workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence incidents occurring at all police stations nationwide. However, Oh Young-hwan pointed out the need to expand investigative and support personnel due to the increase in case numbers.

Oh stated, "It is a serious problem that a government agency investigating sexual violence cases is vulnerable to internal sexual harassment and sexual violence incidents," and emphasized, "It is necessary to thoroughly implement preventive measures such as related education before incidents occur to prevent an increase in cases."

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