Constitutional Court Initiates Disciplinary Procedures for Senior Researchers over Sexual Misconduct Allegations

"Victim Protection Comes First"

The Constitutional Court is in the process of disciplinary procedures regarding allegations of sexual misconduct by senior constitutional researchers.

Constitutional Court of Korea, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the legal community on April 20, Deputy Senior Researcher A of the Constitutional Court is accused of having molested female constitutional researchers after drinking alcohol at an internal workshop more than three years ago.

However, at the time, no related procedures were initiated, making it difficult to ascertain the specific details. The Constitutional Court stated that the matter was closed without a formal investigation process, in accordance with the wishes of the victims. According to the 2023 grievance counseling manual regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence, if there is an "explicit request from the victim," the counseling is concluded and no further procedures are taken.

Another allegation of sexual misconduct has also been raised. It is reported that the Constitutional Court is conducting disciplinary proceedings against Deputy Senior Researcher B, who allegedly tried to contact a female researcher continuously over several months and repeatedly requested to meet her.

The Constitutional Court recently reached a disciplinary decision and plans to notify the individual involved sometime next week.

A Constitutional Court official stated, "The Constitutional Court prioritizes the protection of victims and is carrying out the related measures in accordance with procedures to ensure there are no procedural violations."

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