NHRC Issues Recommendation to University of Seoul Chancellor to Undertake Measures for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a recommendation to the chancellor of University of Seoul to draw up plans for educating faculty about gender issues toward the prevention of sexual harassment, and to undertake measures for the prevention of sexual harassment. The recommendation follows a May 2003 complaint petitioned by Kim, age 20, of the University of Seoul Sexual Harassment Countermeasures Committee, demanding the resignation of Professor Jeong and charging that “in January 2003, University of Seoul Korean Literature Professor Jeong sexually assaulted student A in the his own office.”
The petitioner charged that Professor Jeong sexually assaulted student A by clasping her ears with both hands, placing his lips on her mouth, pushing out his tongue and licking her lips. In the course of the NHRC investigation, Professor Jeong denied the charges saying, “the allegation that A was sexually assaulted is false.”
The NHRC carefully weighed the evidence: the victim’s testimony is concrete and consistent; there is testimony from a third person who witnessed the victim washing her mouth out with tap water right after the alleged incident took place; the investigation confirmed that the victim had received counseling at both Korea Womenlink (3 times) and at the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center (4 times); and, the investigation carried out in-house by the University of Seoul concluded that A had been victimized. Thus, the Commission found that the victim’s claim to have been sexually harassed was acknowledged (except by Professor Jeong) to be true, and that, accordingly, Professor Jeong’s conduct breached article 10 (right to personal integrity of one’s body, right of sexual self-determination) of the Korean Constitution. The NHRC recommendation to the University of Seoul chancellor is for measures to be undertaken—including education on sexual harassment—to stop sexual harassment from occurring.
As for the University of Seoul, after the in-house investigation, the university requested that Seoul City take disciplinary measures against Professor Jeong. On 17 September 2003, Seoul City decided to suspended Professor Jeong from duty for one month, then on October 21st, decided to discharge Jeong from his faculty position.
