Chungnam Office of Education Auditor Who Made Inappropriate Remarks in Integrity Training "Apologizes If Feelings Were Hurt"

원본보기 아이콘

On the 23rd, the auditor of the Chungnam Office of Education, who made inappropriate remarks during a recent integrity training session for Cheongyang public officials, issued an apology.

Shin Sun-ok, a member of the Chungnam Provincial Council's Education Committee (People Power Party, proportional representation), pointed out the sexual harassment remarks made by Auditor Lee Young-taek, which have recently caused controversy, during the Budget and Accounts Special Committee meeting held that day.

Rep. Shin stated, "I feel the seriousness of the ongoing sexual misconduct incidents occurring daily within the Office of Education," and criticized, "The organizational discipline and moral laxity of the Office of Education are in a severe state."

She added, "The belief that only women are sensitive during menopause reflects a dominant prejudice about gender deeply ingrained in consciousness," emphasizing, "The auditor must deeply realize his lack of gender sensitivity."

In response, Auditor Lee explained, "Since coming to the Office of Education last September, I have conducted 16 sessions on abuse of power. According to office workers, the worst type of abusive boss is one who is moody," and clarified, "In the lecture, when I said that female managers should refrain from expressing symptoms of menopause or menstrual pain in the office and control their emotions, it was not intended as sexual harassment or belittlement, but to emphasize that managers should manage their emotions well."

He continued, "The lecture content is always based on statistics and surveys, and I shared my personal experiences as examples," adding, "If any staff members were hurt by this content, I apologize."

Earlier, the Chungnam Teachers' Union issued a statement saying, "Integrity training is an educational program to strengthen ethical awareness and foster a desirable workplace culture," and criticized, "The auditor's remark that 'female supervisors become unusually sensitive and irritable during that time of the month' is unrelated to integrity education."

They further urged, "The Office of Education should take appropriate measures against the instructor who has repeatedly given lectures containing content that could cause shame and anger among faculty and staff."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.