Personnel Retaliation Against Employee Who Reported Sexual Harassment... Prosecution Seeks 1-Year Prison Term for Former Buddhist Order Leader

The prosecution has requested a one-year prison sentence for the former Director of the Administration Office of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, who gave personnel disadvantages to an order employee who reported sexual harassment by an insider in the religious community.

On July 17, during an appellate trial held at the Criminal Appellate Division 1-1 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judges Kim Taekyun, Yoon Woongki, and Won Jeongsook), the prosecution asked the court to sentence Director Jeong (age 59) to one year in prison and to fine the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism 10 million won.

The prosecution stated, "Considering the legislative intent of the Act on the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers, the sentence imposed by the court of first instance is excessively lenient."

Previously, in November last year, the first-instance court sentenced Jeong to a fine of 10 million won and imposed a fine of 5 million won on the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Maintenance Foundation's corporate director.

Jeong is accused of giving personnel disadvantages, such as transferring the victim to a regional position, after the victim reported internally in 2018 that she had been sexually harassed by the son of the highest leader of the Jogye Order.

When the victim applied to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission for whistleblower protection, Jeong additionally placed the victim on standby status.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission reported the case to the prosecution in June 2023, and the prosecution brought Jeong to trial in April of this year.

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