"Touching and Hugging, Hellish Commute"... Saemaeul Geumgo Chairman Accused of Sexual Harassment

Chairman of Saemaeul Geumgo Accused of Repeated Sexual Harassment of Female Employees
Forced Hugs and Alcohol Pressure... Victims' Testimonies Continue
Victimized Female Employees File Complaints and Take Legal Action
Chairman Denies Allegations, Claims "No Intent of Sexual Harassment"
Police to Review Complaints and Initiate Investigation

The chairman of a Saemaeul Geumgo in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is making physical contact with a female employee. Photo by MBN

Female employees at a Saemaeul Geumgo in Seoul have revealed that they were repeatedly sexually harassed by the chairman for nearly five years.

According to an MBN report on the 22nd, allegations have emerged that the chairman who took office in 2020 at a Saemaeul Geumgo in Seoul habitually sexually harassed female employees. One victim resigned just before her wedding, and the remaining employees have filed a complaint with the police.

CCTV footage inside the office clearly shows the chairman approaching female employee A, putting his arm around her shoulder and massaging her upper arm. On another day, he is seen placing his hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever or touching the back of her neck. Even when A waved her hand to refuse, the chairman did not leave but instead grabbed her wrist as if trying to pull her along.

Victim A expressed her distress, saying, "I really hated going to work like it was hell, I wished the morning would never come, and I didn’t even want to open my eyes." Another employee B vented, "He is someone who curses so harshly that we couldn’t even express dislike or avoid sexual harassment or assault."

The chairman of a Saemaeul Geumgo in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is making physical contact with a female employee. Photo by MBN

Another female employee claimed that on the morning she returned from maternity leave in April, the chairman tried to hug her to congratulate her, which made her uncomfortable. The video shows the employee struggling to get away from the chairman’s hug but eventually being pushed forward and embraced. They also revealed that they felt mentally distressed after having a company dinner with the chairman at a bar where explicit photos were displayed, and they were pressured to drink alcohol.

The women who claimed to have been repeatedly victimized by the chairman for nearly five years have ultimately taken legal action against him. The chairman denied the allegations to the media, saying, "If I had intended to sexually harass, wouldn’t I have done it in a private place?" The Seoul Hyehwa Police Station plans to begin an investigation after reviewing the complaint filed by three female employees.