Supreme Court rejects ex-prosecutor's compensation claim in 'MeToo' case

Former prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun is seen in this May 16, 2022 file photo. Korea Times file

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld lower courts' dismissal of a former prosecutor's damages suits against a former senior prosecutor and the state in an alleged sexual harassment and power abuse case that sparked the #MeToo movement in 2018.

The top court's decision came after a lower court and an appellate court rejected former prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun's claim for compensation over allegations that former senior prosecutor Ahn Tae-geun sexually harassed her and abused his power to disadvantage her in personnel reshuffles.

The case dates back to January 2018, when Seo said in a TV interview that Ahn groped her during a funeral dinner in 2010 and later reassigned her to an office in the southern coastal city of Tongyeong as rumors of his sexual abuse began to spread within the prosecution. The interview triggered a series of similar statements by other women in various sectors, including politics, sports and culture, which later evolved into a nationwide #MeToo movement.

Seo launched her damages suit in November 2018, demanding that Ahn and the state together pay her 100 million won ($76,681) in compensation for his alleged sexual and power abuse.

At that time, Ahn, who had also served as a bureau director at the justice ministry, was also charged with abusing his power to influence the personnel reshuffle involving Seo and was sentenced by lower courts to two years in prison. But the Supreme Court overturned the ruling later, acquitting Ahn of all charges. (Yonhap)