Widespread Sexual Harassment, Workplace Bullying, Embezzlement, and Drunk Driving
Join Chul: "Severe Ethical Lapses... Fundamental Solutions Needed"
Join Chul, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
It has been revealed that a staggering 453 cases of misconduct-including sexual harassment, workplace bullying, assault, and drunk driving-have occurred over the past five years at organizations under the Ministry of Science and ICT. This serves as a serious warning regarding research ethics and the overall integrity of public institutions.
On October 2, Assemblyman Join Chul of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Seo-gu Gap) analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Science and ICT titled "Disciplinary Actions at Affiliated Organizations Over the Past Five Years." The analysis uncovered not only repeated cases of misconduct but also instances of disciplinary mitigation that have sparked controversy over favoritism, leading to growing criticism.
The organization with the highest number of disciplinary actions was the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), with a total of 42 cases. At KITECH, serious offenses such as threatening superiors, issuing fraudulent test reports, drunk driving, workplace sexual harassment and bullying, and improper reimbursement of business travel expenses were uncovered, resulting in severe disciplinary measures such as dismissal, demotion, and suspension.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) also issued 30 disciplinary actions, including cases of assaulting a driver, sexual misconduct, providing preferential treatment to children, and student assault, highlighting a severe lapse in ethical standards at research institutions. Notably, at KAIST, there were cases of automatic dismissal due to industrial technology leakage, and the level of disciplinary action for insubordination was reduced on the grounds of a ministerial commendation, raising concerns over the fairness of disciplinary procedures.
At the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), among 37 disciplinary cases, inappropriate behaviors such as playing golf while working from home or during business trips were uncovered. At the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a researcher who committed such severe sexual harassment that it led a subordinate to require psychiatric treatment received severe disciplinary action. At the National Information Society Agency (NIA), a workplace sexual harassment case was forwarded to the prosecution following a police investigation.
Assemblyman Join Chul stated, "If institutions at the forefront of science and technology fail to uphold internal integrity and ethics, the credibility of national research and development will inevitably collapse." He added, "Each organization must move beyond lenient disciplinary measures and establish fundamental solutions to eradicate recurring sexual misconduct, embezzlement, and workplace bullying."
He further emphasized, "The Ministry of Science and ICT, together with its affiliated organizations, must swiftly establish institutional safeguards, including not only stronger disciplinary measures but also protections for whistleblowers, enhanced ethics education, and the expansion of dedicated inspection personnel."
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