Company Issues Apology and Dismisses Employees
"We Will Prevent Similar Incidents from Happening Again"
Two Korean female employees accused of assaulting two local women in Vietnam have been dismissed from their Korean company.
In connection with the incident in which two Korean women assaulted two Vietnamese women at an instant photo booth in Vietnam, the Korean company employing the perpetrators has dismissed the employees and issued an apology to both South Korea and Vietnam.
On July 16 (local time), the Vietnamese branch of Korean company S issued an apology in both Korean and Vietnamese under the name of its representative, stating, "We have dismissed the head office employee responsible for the assault." The company explained in the statement that the employee had previous experience working at the Vietnamese branch and was currently based at the Korean headquarters. During a business trip to Vietnam from July 9 to 14, she assaulted two Vietnamese women.
In the apology, S company said it only became aware of the incident on July 14, after it was reported on social networking services (SNS). The company stated, "We are in contact with the victims, the parties involved at the photo booth where the incident occurred, and the police, and are making efforts to resolve the issue." The company added, "We have offered a sincere apology to the victims of the assault and will do our utmost to provide relief." Furthermore, the company announced, "We will establish a code of conduct for all overseas employees, including local staff and those at headquarters," and emphasized, "Through regular employee training and active cooperation with Vietnamese authorities, we will ensure that similar incidents do not recur."
S company also stated, "Unethical behavior by employees can never be tolerated, and we will comply with Vietnamese laws," adding, "We will respect Vietnamese culture." The company acknowledged that the incident was in direct violation of its management principles, which emphasize growth together with Vietnamese employees.
Additionally, the company said, "We sincerely apologize to the victims who suffered from this incident and to the people of Vietnam," and reiterated, "Through continuous improvement, we will strive to build a sustainable relationship between Korea and Vietnam and to foster a mutually respectful partnership."
On July 11, an incident occurred at a photo booth in the My Dinh area, a Korean town in Hanoi, where two Korean women assaulted two Vietnamese women. CCTV footage showed a woman waiting for her turn rushing at and striking a Vietnamese woman who was taking photos. This escalated into a physical altercation, with both sides grabbing each other's hair.
As the CCTV footage became public, the incident sparked controversy in both Korea and Vietnam. Personal information about the Korean women spread online, and the company's website was paralyzed due to heavy traffic, further amplifying the repercussions.
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