By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul Women’s University has suspended a male professor for just three months after he sexually harassed students and fellow professors.
The decision drew criticism from the victims and students that school authorities are being too lenient.
According to the university, the internal disciplinary committee made its decision last month against Chinese literature Professor Cho Young-hyun, 49.
Under the decision, Cho was banned from teaching classes in the spring semester, a university official said.
“It is disgusting that I have to see him teaching again after just three months,” a student said.
In October, more than 10 alleged victims, including undergraduates, graduates and female professors, filed a complaint with the university.
They also posted a letter of protest on the university website, and submitted it to the university president demanding the harshest punishment against him.
It was not until January that the university launched an internal inquiry into Cho’s alleged actions.
According to the complaint, Cho made sexual comments during class with the intention to embarrass the students and ultimately “enjoy their reaction.”
Cho once said during class, “Rather than watching pornographic movies, I prefer having sex. It’s more direct.”
He also allegedly said to female professors, “Some girls wear miniskirts to win my attention. They care whether I look at their legs, and when they feel I do, they talk to their friends pretending to be upset that my staring was too much.”
In August, he allegedly asked one of his teaching assistants to come to his office while he was dressed only in his underpants.
The victims said Cho also verbally abused them, using derogatory descriptions indicating their inability and incapacity to carry out assignments such as “idiot,” “dumb” and “crazy.” Following the decision, one of the victims, a professor, said on condition of anonymity that it would be disturbing for his victims to see him in school again, and a three-month suspension was too lenient given the emotional distress he caused.
The university official said the decision is final, and no additional deliberation is planned regarding the level of punishment.