"Father Who Worked Over 30 Years, Commits Extreme Act Two Weeks After Daughter's Wedding, Claims Workplace Bullying"

Image unrelated to specific expressions in this article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A petition was posted claiming that a father who complained of workplace bullying made an extreme choice two weeks after his eldest daughter's wedding.

On the 17th, a post from the bereaved family appeared on the Blue House National Petition Board, stating that Mr. A, in his 50s, could not endure bullying and pressure at work and took his own life, expressing their grievance.

The petitioner, who identified himself as the son of the deceased Mr. A in his 50s, said, "My father, who worked for over 30 years at one of the top three telecommunications companies in Korea, made an extreme choice in the early morning of the 15th."

The petitioner explained, "It was really puzzling that he made such an extreme choice only two weeks after sending off his eldest daughter in marriage," and that they proceeded with the funeral process while holding onto this doubt.

He continued, "Then, a will was found at home," adding, "The contents of the will, as well as the complaints my father usually voiced, pointed to a specific individual."

The petitioner claimed, "Around June, a younger team leader was newly appointed, and (the team leader) made degrading remarks to my father and brought up very old matters to gossip with other employees, causing even surrounding staff to treat my father coldly."

According to the petitioner, Mr. A often said things like, "A young team leader came and is being very harsh to me," "He spreads strange rumors about me, creating an atmosphere of ostracism," "The young team leader uses all kinds of curses and dismissive remarks, hurting my pride and making me suffer," and "I hate people, I am scared."

The petitioner said, "On the morning my father made the extreme choice, he received a call from the team leader saying, 'Your father did not come to work and was unreachable, so I came to his house,' and angrily asking, 'Where is your father? Why did he turn off his phone?'"

He speculated, "My father took a long-service sabbatical leave on the 29th of last month ahead of my daughter's wedding, but after using up the leave, the pressure and fear of having to return to work seem to have led to this choice."

On the 17th, a post was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board stating that a man in his 50s, who was suffering from workplace harassment, made an extreme choice two weeks after his daughter's wedding.
[Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture]

The bereaved family reportedly postponed the deceased's funeral scheduled for the 17th. The petitioner said, "What we want is a sincere apology for my father, who ended his life at the young age of 54," and added, "Please help us to send my father to a better place as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, recent cases of workplace bullying claims have been emerging one after another. Regarding the death of a woman in her 20s named Lee, who fell from an apartment in Yangju-si, Gyeongju on the 16th, the bereaved family stated, "It was because of a workplace colleague."

Also, concerning the death of a firefighter belonging to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters on the 5th, the bereaved family and the union urged an investigation, claiming it was caused by workplace power harassment and ostracism.

Although the law prohibiting workplace bullying has been in effect for two years, there are criticisms that practical measures are insufficient. Despite being subjected to verbal abuse and other bullying at work, many do not report it due to fears of secondary harm and low chances of proper punishment, leading to concerns about the law's effectiveness.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, only 14% of workplace bullying reports involving verbal abuse or unfair work orders over the past two years led to substantive action.

Among about 10,000 reports received in the past two years, corrective orders accounted for 13%, prosecution referrals for 1%, and nearly half were withdrawn midway.

As criticisms arose that the lack of proper punishment regulations made such outcomes inevitable, penalties will be strengthened starting in October to enhance the law's effectiveness.

From October 14, if a user, the user's spouse, or relatives within the fourth degree commit workplace bullying, a fine of up to 10 million KRW will be imposed. If the user fails to fulfill obligations such as internal investigation and victim protection when workplace bullying occurs, a fine of up to 5 million KRW will be imposed.

However, workers at businesses with fewer than five employees are excluded from the law's application, and calls for measures remain.

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