The representative who dismissed sexual harassment in the workplace was 'not guilty'... "There have been no objections for over two years, so the case can be recognized as closed."

The CEO of a company accused of ignoring sexual harassment in the workplace was cleared of the charges by the prosecution.

On the 28th, the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office announced that it had decided not to indict Mr. A, a man in his 60s, who was sent on charges of violating the Act on Equal Employment Opportunity for Men and Women and Support for Work-Family Balance on the 11th of last month.

Mr. A was accused of trying to cover up the incident without a separate investigation or protective measure even though sexual harassment occurred within the company he was the CEO of in 2022.

Mr. B, a victim of sexual harassment, claimed that not only did Mr. A try to cover up the incident, but he also failed to comply with his duty of confidentiality, which spread rumors within the workplace and caused him extreme psychological damage.

According to Article 14 of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, if an employer becomes aware of sexual harassment in the workplace, he or she must immediately conduct an investigation to confirm the fact and ensure that the victim does not feel sexually shamed during the investigation.

Additionally, a person who investigates an incident of sexual harassment or receives a report on the details of the investigation must not disclose any secrets learned during the investigation to others.

Mr. A completely denied the charges.

They said they did their best to resolve the issue, including meeting with Mr. B's parents and talking to them.

It was also explained that Mr. B did not raise any issues after receiving the perpetrator's apology, so the case was perceived as closed.

The prosecution explained, “It is acknowledged that the case was concluded rather quickly, but there were no circumstances of intentional ignorance or concealment by Mr. A.”

He added, “At the time, the conversation with Mr. B’s parents ended smoothly, and from Mr. A’s perspective, he was able to recognize that the case was handled in the direction both parties wanted.”

At the same time, the prosecution pointed out, “Mr. B has never raised an objection to the procedure or result for over two years.”

Attorney Kim Dong-gu of Daeryun Law Firm, who represented Mr. A, said, "If sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, the case is handled in one of two ways: reaching an agreement between the parties or conducting a formal investigation."

He explained, "At the time, Mr. A handled the case reflecting Mr. B's wishes, so the charges of ignoring and concealing the case were not established."

Shin Min-ji (sourminjee@ikbc.co.kr)

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Representative 'not guilty' of sexual harassment in the workplace..."The case can be recognized as closed as there have been no objections for over two years" (Shortcut)