Korean Job Discussion Forums

Gladiator · Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: Seoul

We just had a Korean legal specialist visit my organization and give a presentation on sexual harassment, which is apparently mandatory under Korean law for all companies and enterprises.

After being in this country a number of years and seeing the rough deal K women get in the corporate world it was actually very pleasing to see Korean society addressing this. If many of the guidelines are enforced I think we might see massive improvements in women's working conditions (However I use might because I'm factoring in how the authorities here are generally larger on rhetoric than action).

Some of the behaviours identified as sexual harassment included:

*Forcing women to dance at office parties (I guess they meant "Hwoeshik").
*Taking women's hands and fondling them under the pretext of reading their palms.
*Staring (leering) at anyone for over 30 seconds (I'm not making light of this but it's interesting how in Korean law that they manage to specify a black and white time limit).
*Addressing women in terms that denote strict gender roles such as "Adjuma" are now deemed sexually demeaning. (Does this mean a change in the Korean language is on the horizon?)
*Forcing women to pour drinks
*Making unwelcome comments about body or bust shape to the victim
*Questioning the victim intrusively about dating, sex life, marital status etc.and making unwelcome suggestions for social activity outside the office.

I've interpreted these from the female viewpoint, but the guest speaker stressed that her law office has dealt with cases of Korean males being harassed by randy married women in the office.

I wonder what changes in corporate behaviour might be on the horizon.

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

cellphone · Joined: 18 Feb 2004

I may be wrong about this, but my reaction is "terrible." The only one of those I could likely agree with is the very last one. All the others are so common sense it's useless to make them laws. At a party if a worker doesn't want to dance, don't, or dance for 20 secs and then opt out. Korean women are tough and can take care of themselves. When they don't like something they easily say it.

That's not to say Korean men don't have a lot to learn. Personally, I think most of these laws however are off.

peppermint · Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:28 pm Post subject:

I think there are a lot bigger issues in the workplace for women here than wether they get their hand fondled. I've heard a lot of stories about how women are pressured to leave the company after getting married, and well god forbid they get pregnant!

Gladiator · Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: Seoul

So they can't call women ajumma - can they call men ajorshi?

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

Guess I have to get a stop watch now.

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

Tiberious aka Sparkles · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: I'm one cool cat!

I just hope they don't turn the Korean workplace into the paranoia-filled environment it is at some western companies, where office workers are scared sh*tless about even lightly flirting with their co-workers for fear that they'll be fired or sued.

Fondling a woman's hand? C'mon.

Sparkles*_*

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

INteresting what they include:

*Forcing women to dance at office parties (I guess they meant "Hwoeshik").

Should be obvious enough. What about bar employees, though?

*Taking women's hands and fondling them under the pretext of reading their palms.

My friend tried this at the bar a few nights ago and it worked quite well.

*Staring (leering) at anyone for over 30 seconds (I'm not making light of this but it's interesting how in Korean law that they manage to specify a black and white time limit).

Leering at someone for 20 seconds would still be pretty awkward, but then this is Korea.

*Addressing women in terms that denote strict gender roles such as "Adjuma" are now deemed sexually demeaning. (Does this mean a change in the Korean language is on the horizon?)

Good luck.

*Forcing women to pour drinks

Ditto. Does this mean our boss can't get any Korean employee to make tea for everyone who comes into his office?

*Making unwelcome comments about body or bust shape to the victim

Does 'oh, European nose' count?

*Questioning the victim intrusively about dating, sex life, marital status etc.and making unwelcome suggestions for social activity outside the office.

KTs will never talk about their sex life - if it exists - anyways, but is there a way to get everyone to stop constantly inquiring about one's age?

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

[quote="JacktheCat"]

JacktheCat · Joined: 08 May 2004

[quote="tzechuk"]

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

It's ajumaNI you dodoheads. Makes all the difference in the world.

tzechuk · Joined: 20 Dec 2004

mog · Joined: 06 May 2004

Amoni won't work either, since that means mother...Agassi may be demeaning to females who are married. What's the word?

I read in the book I got that asking your age is necessary for Korean people so that they know which formal verb endings to use. I don't get annoyed at that question, or the "have you eaten yet" question because it's a cultural thing.