Lawyer for Park Won-soon: "Advised executives not to have female secretaries... Why has the world become like this?"

A post by lawyer Jeong Cheol-seung on his Facebook on the 23rd. Lawyer Jeong said at the time, "I advised corporate executives not to have female secretaries." / Photo by Facebook capture

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Lawyer Jeong Cheolseung, the legal representative of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Wonsoon, sparked controversy over the so-called 'Pence Rule' by stating that "since the Park case, I advise corporate executives to avoid contact with female employees." The Pence Rule refers to deliberately avoiding face-to-face interactions with women to reduce sexual misconduct issues, but this approach has been criticized for potentially fostering discrimination against women.

On the 23rd, Lawyer Jeong opened up in a post on his Facebook, saying, "I stopped by a friend's office who is a vice president at a large corporation, and there was a female employee working in the secretarial office."

He said, "The female employee kindly brought me a cold drink. I asked my friend if there was an unavoidable reason to have a female employee in the secretarial office, and since there wasn't any particular reason, I told him not to have female employees there." He emphasized, "I have advised all CEOs and executives of companies I consult for not to have dinners, meals, or even drinks with female employees."

He continued, "Since the Park case, I have strongly recommended not to have female secretaries at all," but also expressed, "Even while giving such advice and recommendations, I always feel a sense of self-disgust wondering what on earth I am doing. It is lamentable how the world has come to this."

Lawyer Jeong appears to argue that corporate executives should minimize contact with female employees to avoid controversies such as sexual harassment and assault. However, public reactions to his claims were divided.

Some netizens sympathized with Lawyer Jeong's post, saying, "It seems society has become a place where men and women find it hard to work together," and "It's frustrating." On the other hand, some criticized it as reminiscent of the 'Pence Rule.'

The 'Pence Rule' originated from former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's statement in 2002 that he would not have one-on-one meals with women other than his wife. / Photo by Yonhap News

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The Pence Rule refers to a behavioral approach of avoiding contact with female employees to prevent sexual violence issues. It originated from former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's 2002 interview as a congressman, where he said, "I never have dinner one-on-one with a woman who is not my wife."

The Pence Rule has been criticized for men with social and economic authority deliberately avoiding contact with women, which can instead limit women's social advancement, such as reinforcing the 'glass ceiling.'

In this regard, netizens criticized, saying, "When influential people like Lawyer Jeong say such things, many women may feel their livelihoods are threatened," "We need to create an environment where women can work safely, not reject them," and "This does not seem like advice that helps victims of sexual harassment and assault."

Amid the growing controversy over the 'Pence Rule,' Lawyer Jeong posted again on the 25th, saying, "There are people who curse and criticize by linking to the post I made a few days ago," adding, "Mostly people in their 20s and 30s, and women might understandably feel upset by my post."

He went on, "When men criticize me like that, well," and "It reminds me of how foolish people who have never been scammed tend to mock scam victims," he pointed out.

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