"One in Five Workplace Gender Violence Reports Involves Stalking"

Continued Personal Messages Unrelated to Work Such as "Let's Eat"

At the entrance of the women's restroom at Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, where a female attendant was killed by a coworker who had been stalking her, citizens continue to pay their respects. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Among the five reports related to gender violence in the workplace received by the civic group Workplace Bullying 119, one was found to be a stalking case.

According to Workplace Bullying 119 on the 21st, among the 51 gender violence-related reports received from January 2020 to September this year, stalking cases involving persistent contact and attempts to reach out accounted for 11 cases (21.6%), the highest number.

This was followed by 8 cases of coercive courtship, 7 cases of retaliation for rejecting confessions, and 7 cases of malicious rumor spreading. Other cases included "pairing," which forces employees to date or treats them as if they are dating, "appearance control," which excessively interferes with appearance, and illegal filming incidents.

Workplace Bullying 119 explained, "Pairing and appearance control occur because women are treated only as objects for dating or sexual desire fulfillment," adding, "If this goes further, it leads to stalking, coercive courtship, illegal filming, and malicious rumor spreading."

The group cited typical stalking cases as personal contacts unrelated to work, such as "Let's have a meal together" or "What are you doing tonight? Let's meet." There are also cases of coercive courtship, such as waiting to give a ride to or from work and forcibly putting someone in a car, or using superior status as a workplace superior to give disadvantages in personnel matters.

Workplace Bullying 119 warned, "If those around justify the perpetrator's behavior by saying 'It's because they like you' and cause secondary harm, the victim becomes isolated," adding, "Neglecting seemingly minor gender inequality, harassment, and violence can lead to greater harm."

Meanwhile, amid growing awareness of stalking crimes following the recent 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder Case,' Workplace Bullying 119 will operate the 'Workplace Gender Violence Reporting Center' from the 21st to December 31st. The group will accept reports on stalking, coercive courtship, illegal filming, sexual harassment, and overall gender violence via email, and the 'Workplace Gender Violence Special Response Team' will respond within 48 hours.

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