Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Allegations of Concealing Sexual Harassment Cases Within Organization: "Handled According to Victim's Wishes"

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Victim did not want to refer to Grievance Committee, handled through internal audit"
Separated measures reflecting victim's opinion, disciplinary decision
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Education for all employees conducted, recurrence prevention measures established"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated his pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stating, "Isn't it time for the ministry to fulfill its historical mission?" Meanwhile, on the 14th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family at the Government Seoul Office, facing a crossroads regarding its existence, is stirring in a restless atmosphere. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family clarified allegations that it concealed a sexual harassment incident within the organization, stating that it "handled the matter without concealment according to the victim's wishes."

On the 28th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family responded to Rep. Ha Tae-kyung's claim that the sexual harassment and sexual violence investigation committee was bypassed during the handling of an internal sexual violence case, saying, "Regarding the sexual harassment incident, we confirmed the victim's intention according to relevant regulations and procedures and handled it without concealment."

Earlier, Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the People Power Party held a press conference in the morning, revealing that within the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, perpetrator A forcibly hugged victim B and committed sexual harassment causing sexual discomfort. The perpetrator received a minor disciplinary action of reprimand and was promoted this year, while the victim resigned for personal reasons.

The Ministry explained, "We first became aware of the incident through a third party's report, and since the victim did not wish to refer the case to the Sexual Harassment Grievance Committee, it was handled through an internal audit," adding, "We confirmed the victim's intention seven times through Q&A."

It also added, "Reflecting the victim's opinion, we promptly separated the perpetrator from the victim, obtained advice from external experts for a fair and objective investigation, completed the investigation, requested disciplinary action against the perpetrator, and the disciplinary committee decided on the disciplinary measures."

The external experts involved in the investigation included a lawyer, a research fellow from the Korea Institute of Criminology, and the head of a sexual violence counseling center.

The Ministry stated, "Regarding the personnel appointment of the perpetrator, it was a measure considering the expiration of the promotion restriction period due to disciplinary action and the service period."

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said, "We will continue to establish a prompt incident response system and make further efforts to protect the rights and interests of victims, including disciplinary and other sanctions against perpetrators based on the principle of zero tolerance."

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