Dismissal of Jo Min-ho, Chairman of the South-North Hana Foundation, on Charges of Employee Sexual Harassment

Jo Min-ho, chairman of the North Korean Defectors Support Foundation (NamBuk Hana Foundation), who was accused of sexually harassing employees and making derogatory remarks toward North Korean defectors, has been dismissed.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Unification announced, "Regarding the disciplinary procedure against Chairman Jo, the final dismissal decision was made today." The Ministry received a sexual harassment complaint against Chairman Jo in December of last year. Following investigations of the victim, deliberations by the Sexual Harassment Grievance Committee, approval by the foundation’s board of directors, and a hearing, the dismissal was finalized today.

An official from the Ministry of Unification stated, "As the government agency responsible for policies concerning North Korean defectors and overseeing settlement support, we regret that such an unfortunate incident occurred due to the personal misconduct of the chairman of a public institution." The official added, "We will strengthen management and supervision to prevent similar cases from recurring."

Previously, Chairman Jo made controversial remarks such as telling a female employee returning from parental leave, "In the past, mothers gave birth while working in the fields, but nowadays times have improved," and likening a cesarean section to "taking the baby out of a box" to an employee who returned after childbirth. Notably, despite being the head of a public institution under the Ministry of Unification that supports the settlement of North Korean defectors, he disparaged a defector employee by calling them a "cockroach." Additionally, he criticized a female employee’s shorts and made derogatory comments about employees’ appearances. Due to these misconducts, he has been suspended from duty since the 7th.