"Punish the Boss Who Forced Naked Photos and Cheek Kisses... Older Brother's Petition to Clear Younger Brother's Name"

Younger Sibling Working at Gunsan Steel Company 'Committed Suicide'
Police: "No Evidence to Prove Crime"... Decision Not to Prosecute

Photo from the 2012 company outing of the steel company where younger sibling A worked. / Photo by MBC News Screen Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A man in his 30s who worked at a mid-sized steel company in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, left a suicide note that was revealed late after he took his own life three years ago. The bereaved family is demanding an investigation into the case, claiming harassment by his superior.

On the 25th, a post titled "A thorough investigation is needed for my younger brother who passed away unjustly" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition board.

The petitioner, Mr. A, who identified himself as the deceased man's older brother, said, "About three years ago, my younger brother was suffering from continuous workplace harassment, including sexual harassment, insults, and humiliation by a superior at a steel company, and eventually took an extreme step."

He continued, "After the incident, when I checked his phone, I found evidence of ongoing harassment. I filed a complaint for investigation based on this, but the police said that an investigation is only possible with direct evidence and that the current evidence was insufficient," he revealed.

Mr. A later gathered disciplinary records from the company, and data restored through forensic analysis of the phone and PC, and applied for industrial accident recognition at the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, which concluded that the extreme choice was due to workplace harassment.

He said, "We collected evidence over two years and are currently pursuing civil and criminal lawsuits, but the police decided not to prosecute because the suspect denies the crime and no clear evidence proving the crime was found. Even though the prosecutor instructed the police to reinvestigate, the police again submitted a non-prosecution opinion to the prosecution. It is very absurd and unfair, so I recently filed an appeal with the prosecution requesting a reinvestigation," he said.

He added, "I hope the perpetrators admit their crimes now, sincerely apologize, and receive appropriate punishment. Please help my brother find peace," he pleaded.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Capture

Earlier, Mr. A's younger brother, Mr. B, was found dead in his car in an empty lot near the Geumgang estuary in Gunsan on November 25, 2018. It was three days after he left home saying he was going to his room near the factory and lost contact.

On his phone found with him, a 25-minute video recording of his final moments and a suicide note titled "A Letter" were discovered.

Mr. B claimed that some superiors continuously sexually harassed and bullied him from shortly after joining the company. In his note, he wrote, "When I joined, a superior asked if I had tattoos. He made me wear only underwear, inspected my body, and humiliated me in front of many people. I couldn't speak up because I didn't want to be targeted. It is heartbreaking and filled with resentment," he revealed.

He also said that on the day he underwent major surgery for a type of brain tumor called "acoustic neuroma" in 2014, a superior loudly scolded him in front of many people, saying, "You have a brain tumor?"

Mr. B also recorded specific instances of sexual harassment, stating, "Around 4:30 p.m. on December 10, 2016, a cheek kiss at a jokbal restaurant, and around 5:40 p.m. a cheek kiss at the karaoke entrance. I really hated those actions."

Meanwhile, the superiors accused at the time were given disciplinary actions of three months and two months suspension, considering their remorse, and it is known that they are currently still employed at the factory after the disciplinary measures were carried out.