Korean Job Discussion Forums

[paigemel]

Since living in Korea I've learned that groping, sexual assault, or unwelcome contact is fairly common. The importance of reporting these violations is crucial because it raises awareness and eventually leads to change. The US consul explicates the protective laws of Korea in this situation and sexual assault counselors, of course also, advise that incidents be reported.

However, women, especially foreign, may feel backed into a corner when it comes to handling the situation in an effective way, or at least some way that won't lead to more victimization.

What I mean is, reading about the personal experiences of foreign victims of assault is very discouraging to someone who wants to report such crimes because they paint this picture:
1) the victim's case may be neglected by law officials.
2) attending counseling may cause the victim to lose her job.
3) if she used self-defense she could be arrested herself or lose her job and VISA.

Are these caveats outdated? Can anyone who has firsthand dealt with this kind of situation please share insight about how to tactfully and effectively deal? Further speculation will only make it more difficult to decide what the right course of action should be.

My main concern is, if a foreign victim retaliated against a Korean perpetrator's molestation with violence, does she run the risk of deportation or job termination if she reports the incident?

[ttompatz]

[paigemel]

Thank you for the response, snide and insensitive though it was.

Like I stated before, I'm curious to hear from someone who has dealt with a similar situation firsthand. If you would please share your own experience (via PM) maybe it would help me gain a less biased view of the circumstances.

Also, your analogy about beating someone to a pulp was a little extreme, and not anything like the situation I'm curious about. Unless you meant to illustrate that it's a zero tolerance policy and that a swift kick would not be considered mere self-defense.

[fermentation]

I guess there's nothing in between getting helplessly molested or beating the crap out of the perp?

This is somewhat of a related story I've heard from a guy who majors in self-defense at Yongin Univ but apparently one of his female classmates was dragged by a guy at night and she kicked him in the head resulting in a KO and no criminal charges for her. But she was Korean and I'm guessing no other witnesses were around.

[ttompatz]

Appropriate level, defensive, physical response is NOT what the OP posted or queried (at least not what I understood RETALIATION and VIOLENCE to mean).

Get your butt pinched on the bus and give a slap = no worry.

Get your boob grabbed at the bar and kick his ass to the ground = bye-bye.

Actively being assaulted = use enough force to get away = fine.
Take punitive measures on your own = bye-bye.

Filing a report as a victim = no visa issues.

This isn't India (or America for that matter).

.

[kilakilakila]

i've been subway-groped twice, quite aggressively, during my last 11 months. sadly, i did nothing about it. i just pushed my way to another train car.

it was horrible and violating and i hope women reading this can somehow avoid it.

[Dodge7]

[stilicho25]

obvious troll is obvious.

[young_clinton]

[KimchiNinja]

I don't think getting your butt pinched is "sexual assault". Maybe we can get a bunch of guns like in the USA and start slaughtering and imprisoning people like crazy for the crime of butt pinching LOL.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]