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| ▲ National Human Rights Commissioner Choi Young-ae taps the gavel at the All-in-One Committee held at the National Human Rights Committee in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 25th. On this day, the Human Rights Commission considers the report of the results of an ex officio investigation, including sexual harassment of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, as an agenda for discussion. | |
| Ⓒ Photo Cooperative Foundation |
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The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairman Choi Young-ae, the Human Rights Commission below) acknowledged the allegation of the victim of’Park Won-soon alleged sexual harassment’ as a fact, and announced that the former Mayor of Seoul had committed an act that was considered’sexual harassment’ under the Human Rights Violation Act.
The Human Rights Commission held an all-out committee on the afternoon of the 25th, and deliberated and decided on an ex officio investigation on sexual harassment against the late Mayor Park. The Human Rights Commission decided that the late Mayor Park’s sexual verbal actions against victims in relation to work constituted sexual harassment, and decided to recommend improvements to protect victims and prevent recurrence to related organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Sexual harassment pursuant to the human rights violations includes all of’sexual harassment by force’,’sexual violence’,’forced harassment’, and’sexual harassment’.
“Mayor Park sent inappropriate photos late at night… soliciting remainder in victim telegram request”
The Human Rights Commission said, “It is possible to acknowledge the victim’s claim that Mayor Park sent inappropriate messages, photos and emoticons to the victim late at night, and touched nails and hands with nail art.” “It is sexual harassment that makes you feel humiliated or disgusted.” In response, the NHRCK added that it was based on evidence such as digital forensics on mobile phones, statements of reference, and the concreteness and consistency of the victims’ statements.
However, the Human Rights Commission decided that “it is difficult to admit it as a fact if there is no evidence of a reference person’s statement or mobile phone message.” Still, he said, “Because I couldn’t exercise my right to defense, I recognized the facts more strictly than in general sexual harassment cases.”
At the same time, the NHRCK stated, “It is not the level or frequency of sexual verbal and verbal behavior, but whether or not there is business relevance and sexual speech in the public domain. In this case, the above recognition is sufficient to judge sexual harassment. “I said.
Regarding tolerating or assisting sexual harassment, “it seems to be true that the victim requested a telegram from the initial work in the secretary’s office, saying that the work in the secretary’s office was difficult, and that the superiors recommended the remainder.” “We do not know the circumstances that we perceived it as being due to sexual harassment by Mayor Park.”
In addition, regarding the management practices of secretaries in Seoul, the Human Rights Commission said, “The victims even performed labor in private areas such as managing underwear before and after a shower, getting or taking medicines, checking blood pressure, and shopping for holidays.” “The characteristic not only affects the intimacy between the person who performs the task and the person who receives it, but it can also make them mistaken for the intimacy of a private relationship rather than a public one.”
The Human Rights Commission said, “The secretary’s office staff recognized Mayor Park and the victim as’extraordinary relationship’ or’close relationship’, and could not see this as a’problem’. It is also the secretary’s job that the victim also actively carried out such labor when he served as a secretary. It was justified and the nature of the problem was distorted.”
Regarding the practice of assigning new female employees in their 20s to 30s mainly to the mayor’s secretary’s desk secretary, “The mayor’s office secretary is the’face of the city of Seoul’, and it is said that caring and emotional labor that cares for and cares for others is suitable for women. “The result reflects perceptions and practices.”
Nevertheless, he added, “The secretary’s office is not aware of the nature and hierarchy of sexual harassment, and the low gender sensitivity, which sees the relationship between the two as an intimate relationship, is judged to be a problem.”
In addition, the NHRCK determined that Seoul’s actions in response to sexual violence incidents by staff in the secretary’s office in April corresponded to’secondary damage’. ▲ Respondent neglected the fact that the damage was reduced and distorted and spread to the outside. ▲ The fact that the head of the department who recognized the incident was not able to take measures to protect the victim, such as notifying the department in charge of the case. ▲ Request for investigation into the incident in April They pointed out as a problem that they did not take any measures because they were investigating, even though they requested measures for secondary damage together.
Regarding the “leakage of accused facts,” the Human Rights Commission said, ▲ the authorities did not submit data, ▲ could not obtain the results of the digital forensics of Mayor Park’s mobile phone, ▲ there are limitations to the investigation, such as not responding to the reference people. It was revealed that it was difficult to confirm the information delivered.
Recommend “Seoul City, prepare measures to protect victims”
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| ▲ Members of women’s civic groups, including South Korean Women’s Telephone Officer Song Lan-hee, Deputy Director of Korea Women’s Telephone Service, Kim Hye-jeong, Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, Gyung-ok Gyung-ok, co-representative of the National Sexual Violence Counseling Center, Bae Jin-kyung, Korea Women Workers’ Association, held a press conference in front of the National Human Rights Committee in Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 25th. It is demanding that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea make a proper recommendation on the alleged sexual harassment case. | |
| Ⓒ Yoo Seongho |
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Based on the results of this investigation, the Human Rights Commission recommends that the Seoul Metropolitan Government prepare active protection measures and countermeasures for secondary damage to the victims of this incident, improve the work practices of the secretary office based on gender role stereotypes, prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence, and improve the relief system. did.
The Minister of Gender Equality and Family reinforced the inspection so that employees of public institutions can complete all sexual harassment prevention education, and recommended that local government heads conduct sexual harassment and sexual violence prevention activities through regular inspections of the organizational culture of public institutions. Furthermore, it was recommended that in the event of sexual harassment or sexual violence by local government heads, an independent and specialized organization should take measures to investigate and deal with it, and to reorganize related regulations and prepare manuals to enable effective secondary damage prevention and response. .
In the case of the head of a local government, it is deemed necessary to take measures such as a declaration or a statement of position affirming the will not to engage in sexual harassment or sexual violence and the principles for establishing a gender-equal organizational culture, and to promote the above self-regulation to the Council of Mayoral Governor of the Republic of Korea. Expressed the opinion that it is desirable. In addition, in the case of sexual violence by the head of the local government, it is necessary to prepare effective countermeasures by taking charge of the case investigation by an independent and specialized external unit.
Regarding the’Park Won-soon allegations of sexual harassment’, the Human Rights Commission said, “While former Mayor Park was a prominent politician who was mentioned as the next presidential candidate while serving as the mayor of Seoul for nine years, the victim was a low-ranking civil servant, and the two were in power relationship or position. It is clear that this is a hierarchical relationship,” he said. “In an organizational culture based on this hierarchy and gender role stereotype, sexual harassment is likely to occur at any time, and this incident was no exception.”
“All sexual speech expressed in the public domain corresponds to sexual harassment in terms of deteriorating the working environment, and in this case, it is necessary to expand the awareness that the involvement of members is necessary.” “This is because the nature of sexual harassment, which is sexually objectified, not co-workers or subordinates, can be masked and distorted by individual sexual deviations.”
Lastly, the NHRCK emphasized, “I hope that all of us will give generous support and support so that the victims can overcome all these difficulties and recover their lives completely again.”