After prosecutor reveals her sexual harassment experience , #MeFirst movement calls on witnesses to speak out
- 6 years ago
And now to the recently ignited MeToo movement in Korea,... following a public prosecutor who went public with allegations that she was groped by a senior offical and then demoted after she complained.
Cha Sang-mi gets us up to speed with the developments.
The 'MeToo' movement that started in the U.S., is now growing in Korea, after public prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon revealed her experience of sexual harassment within her workplace.
And to complement the rise of the 'MeToo' movement, Seoul court judge Moon Yoo-seok started the 'MeFirst' hashtag, calling on people who witness sexual harassment to speak out to try and prevent it, rather than being spectators.
Seo Ji-hyeon, a prosecutor at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, on Thursday requested that the probe team protect her from rumors regarding her performance and work discipline after revealing her experience.
She also said she had even received awards from the Justice Ministry for solid work performance.
A special inquiry team, headed by chief prosecutor Cho Hee-jin, was set up to probe into the alleged sexual misconduct case.
Cho at a press briefing on Thursday said she hopes the launch of the inquiry team will serve as a chance for men and women to work as equals in a work culture.
She also pledged to do her best to make sure Seo doesn't receive any secondary victimization.
Gender experts highlight the seriousness of secondary victimization in sexual assault cases.
"The 'MeToo' movement can bring forth a phenomenon, in which the victim although they haven't done anything wrong, ends up disadvantaged,... especially in Korea -- a very male-dominated and patriarchal society."
Seo had posted on an internal board on Monday that she was groped by a then-senior Justice Ministry official at a funeral dinner 8 years ago.
Seo appeared on a primetime cable news program on Monday,... to make public her experiences and demanded an apology from the alleged offender Ahn Tae-geun - a former prosecutor.
Her appearance sparked a public uproar with thousands of Koreans protesting outside of the court and signing online petitions on the presidential office's website demanding an investigation into the matter.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.
Cha Sang-mi gets us up to speed with the developments.
The 'MeToo' movement that started in the U.S., is now growing in Korea, after public prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon revealed her experience of sexual harassment within her workplace.
And to complement the rise of the 'MeToo' movement, Seoul court judge Moon Yoo-seok started the 'MeFirst' hashtag, calling on people who witness sexual harassment to speak out to try and prevent it, rather than being spectators.
Seo Ji-hyeon, a prosecutor at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, on Thursday requested that the probe team protect her from rumors regarding her performance and work discipline after revealing her experience.
She also said she had even received awards from the Justice Ministry for solid work performance.
A special inquiry team, headed by chief prosecutor Cho Hee-jin, was set up to probe into the alleged sexual misconduct case.
Cho at a press briefing on Thursday said she hopes the launch of the inquiry team will serve as a chance for men and women to work as equals in a work culture.
She also pledged to do her best to make sure Seo doesn't receive any secondary victimization.
Gender experts highlight the seriousness of secondary victimization in sexual assault cases.
"The 'MeToo' movement can bring forth a phenomenon, in which the victim although they haven't done anything wrong, ends up disadvantaged,... especially in Korea -- a very male-dominated and patriarchal society."
Seo had posted on an internal board on Monday that she was groped by a then-senior Justice Ministry official at a funeral dinner 8 years ago.
Seo appeared on a primetime cable news program on Monday,... to make public her experiences and demanded an apology from the alleged offender Ahn Tae-geun - a former prosecutor.
Her appearance sparked a public uproar with thousands of Koreans protesting outside of the court and signing online petitions on the presidential office's website demanding an investigation into the matter.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.