By Kim Hyun-bin
A growing number of people are calling for stricter measures against bullying by superiors in the workplace place, which often involves physical attacks, because current regulations are seen as ineffective.
The demands have become especially strident after the disclosure of video clips in which Yang Jin-ho, CEO of WeDisk and Hankook Mirae Technology, is seen abusing and assaulting a worker, and ordering employees to kill chickens with a crossbow and a sword.
Many labor human rights groups say the bizarre abuse by Yang portrays only the tip of the iceberg in some Korean work environments.
Gabjil 119, a labor human rights organization, said it received reports of 225 cases of workplace abuse solely last month. “Gabjil” is a Korean term referring to bullying by people in higher-ranking positions.
Some cases include a superior at a company get-together posing to hit an employee with a soju bottle and another choking a subordinate at the office.
“There are superiors who treat junior employees as servants and abuse them verbally and physically. Such things are rampant in many companies here,” the organization said.
It called on the National Assembly to pass a “Yang Jin-ho ban law,” aimed at protecting employees from workplace bullying.
The group said punishment of superiors for bullying is rare here because of a lack of regulations: Sexual and physical assault can be punished under the criminal law, but there are little to no regulations on bullying or swearing, such as Yang forcing workers to kill the chickens.
“If a worker gets medical treatment after verbal and other non-physical abuse, they are not allowed industrial accident compensation. If an employee quits following verbal abuse, it is considered a voluntary resignation so they cannot receive unemployment benefits,” it said.
To strengthen regulations, the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee passed a revision bill to the Labor Standards Act to include protection against workplace bullying in September, but the process has been halted at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee due to some opposition.
Some members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) lawmakers, who are against the bill, claim it has an unclear definition of “mental suffering,” and the scope of “working environment.”
“Reps. Yi Wan-young and Jang Je-won of the LPK have rejected the bill citing unclear definitions. But the revision bill specifically defines discriminatory actions and the definitions are clear when compared with similar laws in France and Canada,” the organization said.
Meanwhile, police plan to summon Yang for questioning this week.
Police raided 10 locations including Yang's home and offices Friday to seize evidence, after the two videos of him abusing his employees were made public.
One of the two shows Yang cursing and slapping a former employee in the face and forcing him to kneel and apologize in the office. The other shows him shooting a live chicken with a crossbow and making employees do the same at a company retreat. He also made some employees kill a chicken with a Japanese sword.