Gov't to conduct 'Me Too' survey in colleges nationwide

By Kim Hyun-bin

The government said Friday it will conduct a survey on sexual harassment conditions at all college and universities in the nation starting next month.

It will also examine the way the institutions’ sexual harassment report centers handle cases when they occur.

The measure was announced at a ministers’ meeting led by Education Minister Kim Sang-gon at the Sejong Government Complex as part of a plan to tackle sexual harassment and violence in colleges nationwide.

The government said it would enforce a “one stop” rule at the report centers and establish a hotline with the police to swiftly investigate any cases that come through.

The report centers will be run by government entities including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The government also plans to crack down on sexual discrimination in the workplace and during the job interview process. Excluding female co-workers on business trips and company gatherings under the “Pence rule” will be considered a violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law and the Labor Standards Act.

The government plans to take strong action against any firm that violates the act.

The “Pence rule” was named after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who said he avoids dining or sharing a vehicle alone with women other than his wife.

The government will also help schools draft investigation standards, to prevent secondary damage to victims, as well as sex education guidelines.

School sex education guidelines are expected to include human rights and gender equality education, and are scheduled to be finalized and distributed to colleges around the country by early next year.

The #MeToo movement has taken Korea by storm, with an increasing number of professors accused of sexually harassing their students.

In some cases students have spoken up about their ordeals anonymously on the internet and their testimonies have encouraged other students to speak out about their experiences.

Universities moved swiftly to remove the accused professors to save their reputation.

One of the most recent offenders was a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who resigned after allegations that he had sexually harassed his students. Earlier this week, another Hankuk University professor committed suicide amid rising allegations against him.

The Myongji College in western Seoul expelled five professors from the theater and cinema department, including Professor Park Jung-hyeon, for sexual misconducts. The Ministry of Education requested the prosecution to investigate the case.

The Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul also saw one of its professor leave the school amid the #MeToo movement. At Professor Ha Il-ji’s press conference, a crowd of students gathered demanding his apology but he denied allegations against him.