President Lee Jae-myung on the 15th called for discipline among public officials, saying, "Drinking and having fun is all fine, but don't seat a young person of the opposite sex next to you." With a firefighter in her 20s recently taking her own life after being pressured to attend company dinners and drinking sessions, he meant that the public sector must take special care to avoid sexual misconduct.
In closing remarks at the second live-streamed briefing held at Cheong Wa Dae that day, Lee said, "I hope every public official in Korea hears this," adding, "A young employee of the opposite sex is not a plaything, is that not so?"
Lee said, "Being treated that way in itself is a situation that would cause immense anger," and added, "In the past, people accepted it and endured it. But now, that kind of attitude, that kind of mindset itself is an insult to one's dignity." He continued, "Treating someone that way is not treating them as an equal person, is it?" and said, "Seeing someone as an object or a means—that way of thinking must no longer exist."
In particular, he said, "I say this because it seems a similar incident happened not long ago," adding, "In the old days it wasn't a problem, but now it isn't allowed. Now it will cause serious trouble." He also said, "It may look trivial to you, but the world does not see it that way. It is a very serious problem, to the point of being brutal."
His remarks referred to the "death of a female firefighter" case that occurred in Oct. last year. An investigation by the Office for Government Policy Coordination confirmed that a female firefighter with the Gwangju Gwangsan Fire Station had been subjected at work to frequent pressure to attend drinking sessions and to workplace bullying.