Dongbu Daewoo facing lawsuit over alleged discrimination

By Lee Min-hyung

Dongbu Daewoo Electronics is facing a lawsuit from a female worker at its U.K branch who claims she has fallen victim to sexual and racial discrimination from her boss, according to local reports Friday.

The 43-year-old woman has sued the Seoul-based electronics company for gender, age and racial discrimination, after she claimed she was demoted to secretarial duties for refusing to bow to her boss, the Guardian reported.

She reportedly said the problem started when she was promoted to become the firm’s financial manager and head of human resources who reported directly to the boss surnamed Yoo. She reportedly asked him why she was asked to do secretarial duties such as making coffee.

But her boss was quoted as saying: “Isn’t that what female workers should do?” according to reports.

She said she felt discriminated against as she was viewed as a Korean female and younger, which is why she thinks she can be looked down upon. The woman has an English father and Korean mother.

She claims she lost her managerial role, as she was not a white British man.

“Nothing specific has yet to be confirmed over the incident and her argument,” said a Dongbu Daewoo Electronics spokesman, refusing to comment further citing the ongoing investigation. “The local branch will do the utmost to unveil the truth behind the incident.”

The boss has reportedly denied the claim by saying that: “The suggestion raised by her about me demanding that she bow to me is simply not true.”

He also reportedly stressed that bowing is entirely voluntary, even if bowing is considered a custom in Korea.

But she claimed that Yoo wanted her to be his eyes and ears, and was constantly called into his office, spending hours in the room with the door firmly shut. This was because she has been the only bilingual Korean and English speaker at the firm until a native Korean employee joined her team in February 2015, according to local news reports.