Woman in Her 40s Suspected of 'Unfair Hiring' at a Culture and Arts Institution…Prosecution Clears Her of Charges

"There are circumstances of an interviewer recommending she apply, but it is hard to conclude prior collusion on passing"
Suwon District Prosecutors' Office issues a no-charge disposition on grounds of 'insufficient evidence'

A woman in her 40s who had been suspected of participating in unfair hiring during the open recruitment process of a culture and arts institution was cleared of charges after a prosecution investigation.

According to the legal community on the 11th, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office determined this past June that the evidence was insufficient regarding Ms. A, who had been investigated on charges of obstruction of business, and issued a no-charge disposition.

Ms. A applied for open recruitment of staff at a culture and arts institution in 2019 and was finally selected. She was subsequently suspected of submitting false career records and of undermining the fairness of the hiring process by coordinating in advance with some interviewers.

However, the prosecution judged that there was insufficient objective material to find that Ms. A had known in advance about irregularities in the hiring process or had actively participated in them.

During the investigation, it was confirmed that some interviewers had recommended that a particular applicant apply, or had reviewed a résumé, before the recruitment notice was posted. However, the prosecution found it difficult to conclude, based on such circumstances alone, that Ms. A had been aware in advance of a predetermined selection or had colluded with the interviewers in hiring corruption.

Furthermore, no evidence was found that she had received interview questions or evaluation content in advance, and it is reported that there was likewise insufficient material to find that Ms. A had discussed rank adjustments with interviewers or had directly intervened in the hiring result.

Ms. A consistently denied the relevant charges throughout the investigation. She stated her position that, since the company she worked for at the time and the institution in question used the same building, she was acquainted with the staff, and she had simply applied through a normal open recruitment process after being encouraged by those around her to apply.

Attorney Choi Han-sik of Daeryun Law Firm, who handled Ms. A's legal representation, explained, "In hiring corruption cases, responsibility cannot be imposed simply because someone was finally selected; the key issue is whether the applicant recognized or colluded in the hiring corruption in advance," and "We proved, through objective materials, the client's actual career and the process of preparing for the open recruitment and the interview and essay exams, and by demonstrating that there was no evidence to find she had participated in or been aware of hiring corruption, we were able to draw out a no-charge disposition."

Reporter Seo Da-hee happiness@kyeonggi.com

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Woman in Her 40s Suspected of 'Unfair Hiring' at a Culture and Arts Institution…Prosecution Clears Her of Charges (Go to link)