Korean Supreme Court Overturns Sexual Harassment Ruling

Article from Yonhap News:

Supreme Court; Saying, “Sleep over,” while grabbing an employee’s wrist is “not harassment.”

supremecourtharassmentcase

On the 2nd, thanks to Chief Justice Lee In-bok of the Supreme Court, 61-year-old Seo who was charged with workplace-related sexual harassment and subsequently fined, saw his conviction overturned and his case sent back to Chuncheon District Court. His crime was grabbing a female employee’s wrist when she had visited [his] home, and telling her to sleep over.

According to the facts presented, in June 2011, Mr. Seo, manager of a laundry plant in Jeongseon, Ganwondo, and Ms. A were in the bedroom of [his] home. She was delivering some dry cleaning when he roped her into having a drink. Ms. A, feeling uncomfortable, said she would be going home. But as soon as she spoke, Seo grabbed her right wrist and said, “sleep over.”

In the first and second trials, the court acknowledged Seo’s behavior as “exerting his power over Ms. A as a superior, amounting to sexual harassment.” He was sentenced to pay a fine of 3 million won.

The Supreme Court disagreed, overturning the decision, citing that “Seo [merely] touched the wrist, a body part that would be difficult associate with sexual humiliation or disgust.”

Comments from Naver :

86fo****

When it’s just the two of them alone, grabbing her wrist and telling her to sleep over, it’s sexual harassment. How is it not, exactly? It’s only sexual harassment if he grabs her legs, makes her lay down and rips off her clothes? No, it’s already harassment if it makes the person feel uncomfortable.

blac****

I bet they all do that when hitting on women… he says not guilty kekeke

bent****

So [the judge said] telling her to sleep over is [only] verbal harassment? Wow from the very start of the year I already feel dirty.

dbrd****

It’s kinda funny that he lured an employee into the bedroom but… a man living alone says to sleep over… and saying that in the bedroom… does that judge know just how scared that woman probably was in that moment?

neom****

It’s the supreme court. They go to the hostess bars, get a girl and have some fun. They probably think just grabbing some girl’s wrist is no big deal. kekeke

wate****

That judge has let his everyday thoughts affect his decisions. How the hell else could he end up judging the case like this?

nand****

I bet that judge does it too… grabs women by the wrist to go sleep with them…

ysla****

I guess now someone’s gotta go grab the chief justice’s daughter’s wrist and tell her to sleep over.

gidr****

kekekekekekekekeke So when they were alone together in his house, he tells his female employee to sleep over, and when she says no thanks and gets up to leave, he grabs her wrist – you’re saying that’s not harassment?

skyk****

Even if I’m not sure about the whole just grabbing her wrist part, the fact is that they were alone, in a bedroom, and he told her to sleep over. They’re saying that nothing happened at all… It’s so sad, that woman lost her job and wasted a lot of time.

shk7****

In Korea all the judges are perverts, so they’ll only acknowledge something if you get down to their level. If it’s anything less, it’s meaningless.

peac****

There’s no way “sleep over” could be innocent. Supreme Court judge, is someone only a victim of sexual harassment if their bodies were violated?

tlaq****

But if it’s your daughter, it’s sexual harassment!!!

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