By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
A Seoul court ruled in favor of a former LG Electronics employee who filed a lawsuit against corporate executives for neglecting his being bullied by team members.
The Seoul Central District Court Tuesday ordered the company to pay 20 million won ($21,000) to a former staff member identified by his last name, Chung, for neglecting his reports of being bullied and then firing him. The court also held Koo Ja-hong, then president of LG Electronics, and four other senior executives and colleagues responsible.
Chung started working for LG Electronics in 1988. When he failed to get promotion, he argued with his boss and was suspended. When he defended his actions, one of his bosses sent an email to his co-workers ordering them not to allow Chung use of the computer or any office supplies.
Chung went to Koo, then the president of LG Electronics, and said his former colleagues were bullying him. The company did punish the boss but did not reinstate Chung and formally fired him three months later.
The compensation was for causing ``mental anguish'' to him.
In a separate case where Koo sued Chung in 2000 over fabricating bullying email, the court cleared Chung of the charge. Chung was accused when he filed a case with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service over being bullied and used the email as proof.
This is not the first time a bullied employee has been compensated ― a labor unionist in 2001 and a whistleblower at a computer company in 2004 were awarded compensation.