Seoul City Councilor Josangho's Proposed Ordinance on Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence and Secondary Damage in Seoul Passed

[Seoul Metropolitan Council Ordinance News] Strengthening the Function of the Grievance Review Committee for Sexual Harassment and Violence by Seoul City and Affiliated Institutions' Members; Seoul Must Lead the Spread of a Workplace Culture Free of Sexual Harassment and Violence... Councilor Donghyun Lee's Proposal 'Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Workplace Harassment Prohibition Ordinance' Passed in Plenary Session!

Josangho Seoul City Councilor

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The "Seoul Metropolitan Government Basic Ordinance on Gender Equality Partial Amendment Ordinance," proposed by Assemblyman Jo Sang-ho (Democratic Party of Korea, Seodaemun-gu District 4) of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Health and Welfare Committee, passed the plenary session of the 302nd Seoul Metropolitan Council extraordinary meeting on September 10.

The ordinance was passed as a committee alternative after being merged and reviewed with the ordinance proposed by the Mayor of Seoul.

Assemblyman Jo, who proposed the amendment, stated, "Amid ongoing issues of sexual misconduct among Seoul city employees, controversies over protecting insiders and lenient disciplinary actions continue," adding, "We aim to strengthen the role and function of the Grievance Review Committee, which deliberates on sexual harassment and sexual violence cases involving Seoul city and its affiliated institutions, to prevent such incidents and enhance protective measures for victims."

The ordinance upgrades the existing Seoul city guidelines on workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence prevention to rules and ordinances, stipulating the establishment and operation of the "Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Grievance Review Committee" to deliberate on judgments related to sexual harassment and sexual violence. This measure is intended to strengthen binding power over Seoul city organization members and promote awareness of sexual harassment and sexual violence issues.

Additionally, the obligation of confidentiality has been extended to members of the Grievance Review Committee and others involved in the case review process, reinforcing the prevention of secondary damage to victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Assemblyman Jo Sang-ho said, "This ordinance is part of Seoul city's proactive measures to prevent workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence and to prevent secondary harm," emphasizing, "To eradicate workplace sexual harassment and sexual violence, Seoul city employees must lead by example in mutual respect and protection."

Donghyun Lee, Seoul City Council Member

Institutional measures have been established to prohibit workplace bullying and protect affected employees working at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and schools within Seoul.

Assemblyman Lee Dong-hyun (Democratic Party of Korea, Seongdong-gu District 1), a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Education Committee, announced that the "Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ordinance on Prohibition of Workplace Bullying," which he proposed as the lead assemblyman, was finally passed at the plenary session of the 302nd Seoul Metropolitan Council extraordinary meeting on the 10th.

Currently, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has established a "Manual for Eradicating Power Abuse" through the Audit Office to prevent workplace bullying and similar power abuse, and based on this, it operates a reporting system to eradicate power abuse among employees of affiliated institutions and schools under the Office of Education.

However, since "power abuse" involves using positional or relational superiority among employees to inflict physical or mental distress beyond appropriate work boundaries, which differs somewhat in subject and type of harm from workplace bullying, there have been criticisms that the "Manual for Eradicating Power Abuse" alone is insufficient to eradicate workplace bullying occurring in the Office of Education and frontline schools.

Although the current local government employee service ordinance under the Seoul Metropolitan Superintendent of Education partially specifies the prohibition of workplace bullying, it lacks detailed provisions and is limited to local government employees only.

This ordinance, proposed to prevent workplace bullying not only among public officials under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education but also among teachers and educational public employees at all school levels, codifies matters related to workplace bullying surveys, prevention, reporting, investigation, measures, and protection and support for affected employees.

Furthermore, a clause was added to recommend that private schools and private kindergartens within Seoul also apply this ordinance and implement it independently, ensuring that private schools are not exempt from the prohibition of workplace bullying.

Assemblyman Lee Dong-hyun explained, "Workplace bullying has emerged as a social issue surrounding certain occupational groups, but in the education field, due to its conservative culture, cases of harm have not been revealed or have been concealed, resulting in relative indifference to bullying within hierarchical occupational differences and protective measures for affected employees," adding, "I proposed this ordinance with the belief that schools should be happy places not only for students but also for staff." He further stated, "I hope this ordinance will serve as an opportunity to create a safe and peaceful working environment for all employees working in educational settings within Seoul."