Sumitomo Mitsui execs harass female employees

Japanese executives at the Seoul office of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. have come under criticism for sexual harassment of Korean female employees.

Harassment case reveals entry-level workers vulnerable to sex crimes

By Kim Jae-won, Lee Kyung-min

Kim, 28, was happy when she got a job at the Seoul office of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) three-and-a-half years ago, after completing graduate school. The Korean branch was located at Mirae Asset Center One Building in downtown Seoul, one of the most lucrative offices in Seoul’s financial district, making her proud to be a part of the Tokyo-based lender.

It did not take long until her excitement gave way to embarrassment. She was forced to serve drinks at dinners for male Japanese executives coming from the company’s headquarters. Most of the “office waitresses” were entry-level female workers in their 20s.

“Needless to say, she hated it,” said an official at the bank familiar with the matter, asking not to be named. “But she could not resist because she was a one-year contract worker and did not want to lose her job.”

Sexual harassment was not limited to business dinners. Kim’s Japanese male bosses often talked about their experiences at karaoke bars in Gangnam, southern Seoul, where waitresses serve drinks for customers and sing with them.

Such talk made female workers uncomfortable, but their male supervisors did not care. They evaluated Korean female workers’ appearances, ranking them against each other.

Kim was sexually harassed by her Japanese supervisor in a taxi coming home after a dinner in April 2015, which was no surprise given the “dirty and masculine” office culture at the lender.

The manager surnamed Oide, forcefully touched her thigh and hugged her a couple of times, even though she clearly rejected him, according to a Seoul district court ruling.

Kim filed a sexual harassment complaint against Oide with the police, and the police asked the prosecutors’ office to indict him. Last month, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years in prison with an 80-hour sexual education program.

But, Kim’s pains still prevail. For more than a year, she has sought treatment from Seoul National University Hospital for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as anxiety, depression and insomnia among others.

However, she received no compensation from the bank which argued it had nothing to do with the case. Recently, Kim filed compensation lawsuits against SMBC and Oide, which are pending at a Seoul district court.

“Kim wants the head of her office to apologize to Korean female workers over what the lender’s executives forced them to do,” said an employee at the lender who was close to her.

“She was upset with the bank’s attitude denying its faults. She also thinks that the bank should take responsibility for failing to protect employees from harassment.”

SMBC’s Seoul office said that there was something wrong in what Kim said, but did not elaborate what it was. The lender also refused to confirm whether female workers are still serving alcohol drinks for male executives at office dinners.

“We cannot say much about the case,” said the chief of the branch’s human resources department. She declined to identify herself, saying it was her private information.

The sexual harassment case against SMBC came one year after AIG Korea CEO Steven Barnett was investigated by Korea’s human rights agency over his alleged sexual harassment of female workers. He was accused of touching a female employee’s waist during a dinner and verbally abusing the company’s staff.

And, such cases are not limited to foreign firms. In January, Lee Eun-eui, 41, published a book titled “It’s Okay to be Sensitive” in which the lawyer described a wide range of workplace sexual harassment cases.

Lee was also victimized by her boss at Samsung Electro-Mechanics 10 years ago, and she took the case to court. After a years-long legal dispute with the company, she finally won against the boss and the company, writing a new chapter in the nation’s office sexual harassment cases.

She also authored the 2011 book “Working for Samsung” in which she unveiled details of the case and how an affiliate of the nation’s largest conglomerate reacted to it.

Later, she went to law school, and now represents female workers suffering workplace harassment. In an interview with local media, Lee said she wanted to assist individuals to stand up against big organizations.