Victim Speaks Out After News of Team Leader L’s Promotion Amid 13-Year-Old Sexual Misconduct Allegation
Union Bulletin Board Post Urges “Let’s Keep It Moderate,” Sparking Outrage Over Calls for Cover-Up
“Punishment Is Enough... Let’s Shut Down t
Sokcho City Hall in Gangwon Province has been thrown into turmoil following the revelation of a past attempted sexual assault incident. The controversy is growing as evidence emerges of systematic 'secondary victimization' within the organization, aimed at covering up the case.
The incident began when civil servant A, who previously worked at Sokcho City Hall, disclosed on an internal bulletin board that 13 years ago, she had narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted by her then-superior, Team Leader L. Currently transferred to another region, A stated, "It is unacceptable for someone with suspected sexual misconduct to be promoted to the rank of Grade 5 official," demanding both the cancellation of L's promotion and disciplinary action.
However, instead of receiving support from colleagues for her courageous disclosure, A was met with 'forced silence.'
On December 21, a post titled "Let's Not Take This Too Far" appeared on the Sokcho City Hall labor union bulletin board, sparking public outrage.
In the post, author B wrote, "From what I read, nothing actually happened, and the victim managed to avoid it well. Since the victim has already transferred and the issue has been reported in the media, that should be punishment enough." B further insisted, "Let's just pretend we don't know and not escalate this among colleagues." By doing so, B dismissed the serious allegation of attempted sexual assault as merely a 'mishap among coworkers.'
Notably, B even cited examples from other local governments to justify organizational cover-ups, saying, "In Seoul, such matters are quietly handled without disciplinary action or suspension, and the union bulletin board blocks external access so that transferred employees cannot post, effectively preventing any exposure." B called for the Sokcho City union bulletin board to also block external access.
In response, one civil servant commented, "I seriously question the sanity of someone who presents this as an example."
After these posts were made public, criticism erupted both among citizens and within the public service sector.
One citizen remarked, "I am appalled by the mindset that describes an attempted sexual crime as 'well avoided.' In such a closed organizational culture, how can future victims dare to speak out?"
Experts point out that this is a classic example of a 'cartel of silence' and constitutes serious secondary victimization.
One expert explained, "The victim spoke out after 13 years because the internal self-correcting system failed to function. There must be a thorough investigation into the alleged perpetrator, and strong measures are needed against those who humiliated the victim and conspired to cover up the incident through the bulletin board."
Currently, Sokcho City has requested a police investigation into the promotion candidate after allegations of past sexual misconduct surfaced, and Team Leader L has been suspended from duty in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
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