70% of female teachers experience sexual harassment

By Lee Kyung-min

More than 70 percent of female teachers have experienced sexual harassment, a study showed Wednesday.

In the survey by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU) of teachers at kindergarten and grade schools earlier this month, 70.7 percent of 1,758 female teachers have experienced sexual harassment, mostly from higher-ranking school staffers or fellow teachers.

More than half said they had been forced to drink alcohol or pour alcohol for male colleagues or superiors. When multiple replies were allowed, 40 percent said they were forced to dance in karaoke, while 34.2 percent experienced verbal harassment and 31.9 percent, unwanted physical contact.

Some 72 percent said the perpetrators were principals or vice principals, followed by male colleagues and parents of students.