[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been revealed that the Army investigated the victim without separating the victim and the perpetrator in a sexual harassment case. Recently, Sergeant Lee of the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing, who made an extreme choice due to sexual assault, was also criticized for insufficient separation from the perpetrator.
According to Kang Dae-sik, a member of the People Power Party, in March, Kim, a Grade 4 civilian employee and head of the support office at the Army Logistics Command's Comprehensive Maintenance Depot, was reported to the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team for touching a female soldier's thigh with his foot. At the time, Kim reportedly said, "Didn't you take off your slippers?" when the female soldier expressed discomfort. In particular, Kim is said to have made sexually harassing remarks such as "Don't get pregnant while you're with me" to two other female civilian employees as well.
However, the unit did not separate Kim, the perpetrator, from the female victims during the investigation. Kang's office claimed that the victims were subjected to coaxing and pressure from the perpetrator, and eventually, in May, the victims stated that they "did not want the perpetrator to be punished," leading to the case being dismissed.
Earlier, on the 9th, the Army prosecution requested an arrest warrant for Lieutenant Colonel A, a battalion commander of an Army unit located in Gangwon Province. Lieutenant Colonel A is accused of habitual sexual harassment against female officers.
A female commissioned officer who was sexually harassed by Lieutenant Colonel A directly reported the incident via an email to the division commander last month. After the unit's gender equality counselor investigated the victim, the facts were reported to the Army Headquarters. The Army immediately removed Lieutenant Colonel A from his post. During the investigation, the Army Central Investigation Unit also discovered that two more female non-commissioned officers had been sexually harassed by Lieutenant Colonel A.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
