Multiple Allegations Raised:
Personal Activities During Work Hours,
Sexually Harassing Remarks, and Abuse of Evaluation Authority
Controversy has arisen as disabled sports instructors affiliated with the Seocheon County Disabled Sports Association in South Chungcheong Province have raised allegations of sexual harassment, human rights violations, inappropriate work conduct, and concerns over the fairness of evaluations within the association.
On December 1, five instructors held a press conference in front of Seocheon County Office, stating, "Disabled sports field workers are working under anxiety and pressure," and emphasized, "To restore trust, it is urgent for the association to verify the facts and implement structural improvements."
They claimed that staff member A repeatedly engaged in non-work activities such as watching YouTube and making personal calls during work hours, misused the official vehicle during lunch and work hours, used the association's operating expense card for purposes unrelated to work, and was suspected of receiving duplicate travel expense reimbursements.
In particular, they alleged sexual harassment, citing remarks such as, "A woman in her mid-30s is past her prime, her value has dropped," as well as personnel pressure, including statements about firing instructors Kim Gija and Choi Hana.
They also stated that staff member B consistently made remarks that insulted their dignity, such as, "Why are you looking at me like that?" "I am your superior," and "I am not a worker. I am someone who receives reports and gives approvals."
Furthermore, they criticized, "There are suspicions that evaluation criteria were arbitrarily changed and that the disclosure of evaluation grounds was refused," and added, "The words and actions of the evaluator are directly linked to the job security of instructors, making the issue of fairness extremely serious."
Additionally, the instructors claimed that executive C, who was appointed as a member of the personnel committee, made comments after an internal misconduct report that encouraged a particular instructor to downplay or avoid raising issues.
They revealed that the recordings they obtained contain remarks by C such as, "Try to get out of it, I beg you," and "Choi Hana will get seriously hurt."
The instructors pointed out, "It can be interpreted that the personnel committee member intervened in the reporting process, which is a serious issue that undermines the independence and fairness of the personnel system."
The instructors demanded the invalidation of the 2025 performance evaluations, the suspension from duty and fair investigation of staff members A, B, and C, the initiation of a special audit by Seocheon County, a review of the re-contracting system centered on individual evaluations and conversion to permanent contracts, and the establishment of measures to protect whistleblowers and prevent secondary harm.
Instructor Choi Hana emphasized, "It is unreasonable for those accused of workplace harassment to exercise evaluation authority, and this structure puts direct pressure on instructors," and called on Seocheon County and the sports association to provide responsible answers and improvement measures.
She added, "An audit is absolutely necessary to verify the facts regarding these matters."
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