It has been confirmed that the director of a hospital in Chuncheon, Gangwon, sent a sexually harassing note to a female employee, leading to the director being fined and referred to prosecutors with an opinion to indict. The controversy over power dynamics within medical institutions and workplace sexual harassment response systems has flared up again.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) Gangwon District Office said on the 28th that, in connection with a workplace sexual harassment and Labor Standards Act violation case that occurred at the clinic, it imposed fines on the employer and referred the case to the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office with an opinion to indict.
The investigation began when, in November last year, female clinic employee A reported receiving a note from Director B implying sexual relations. A said she received a note from B at the time that read, "I'll give you 1 million won. Shall we do it once?"
Eighteen days after the incident, A quit her job and reported the director to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and police on charges including workplace sexual harassment and insult. Authorities heard the victim's statement and conducted an on-site investigation, securing related evidence.
The investigation confirmed that B's workplace sexual harassment occurred. In addition, violations of the Labor Standards Act, including failure to conduct workplace sexual harassment prevention training, were also revealed.
After the case became known, the local medical community also issued a position. The Gangwon Medical Association issued a statement early this month, saying, "We feel the weight of our responsibility," and added, "Medical professionals must have higher ethical awareness and moral responsibility than anyone else. If the reports are true, such conduct can never be tolerated."
B's legal representative said, "We did not expect this to become such a legal and social issue," and added, "We acknowledge the matter and apologize. We will work for the victim's recovery."
The Chuncheon Police Station is currently continuing additional investigations into charges including insult.