Nearly 30% of Korean office workers have experienced some form of workplace harassment in the past year, according to an online survey of 1,000 respondents in June of last year - up from 23.5% in a similar survey in March.
The latest survey, published Sunday, was conducted by the research group Embrain Public and commissioned by Workplace Gapjil 119Gapjil 119, an organization that helps victims of office abuse. Respondents reported issues including sexual harassment from superiors and verbal and physical abuse.
One employee said they felt threatened when their supervisor swore at them angrily. After he had been out drinking, a late night text message from her boss described her as abusive and sexual language.
Others had been insulted by superiors in front of peers and faced exclusion from office groups.
Some said they had been punished when they reported the harassment, by being sent to a new work location or by being forced out of their company altogether - but most respondents did not take action, instead of ignoring the issue. Many of them quit because they were afraid that reporting the abuse would hurt their future job prospects. The report said that women and part-time or gig workers were more likely to be victims, while supervisors and managers were the most common perpetrators. Many respondents said that their mental health had deteriorated due to abuse, but only a few sought help with treatment or counseling after developing depression, insomnia, lack of motivation, and other issues. Gapjil, a Korean word for those in power who lord over their subordinates, has been a big problem in the country - especially within elite families who dominate South Korea's business and politics. The issue was thrust to the fore in 2019 when Lee Myung-hee, the Matriarch of the Korean Air dynasty, was accused of physically and verbally abusing her staff, including by throwing metal shears at her gardener and forcing another staff member to kneel after forgetting to buy ginger. South Korean bosses can now be jailed for firing bullied employees, as country cracks down on toxic work culture. Lee was given a suspended sentence in 2020, allowing her to avoid jail time if she can't commit other crimes for three years. The sentence was seen as a blow to labor rights activists. During his tenure, the former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who left office in May, had repeatedly promised to tackle gapjil, which he described as a leading workplace evil. It's not just bullying that is a problem in Korean workplaces -- gender discrimination is deep-rooted too -- especially during job interviews when women are frequently asked about their plans for marriage or children. In the year 2019 Korea passed a law dictating that managers who unfairly fire workers for complaining about bullying face up to three years in prison or 30 million won a $25,464 fine. Reports of office harassment fell after the law, and even more so during the pandemic when employees were mostly working from home, according to the Sunday report. Reports shot back in recent months as people headed back into the office.