The police are called "people's walking sticks" in South Korea. However, there has been a lot of criticism for their behavior that does not match the story. In March this year, a female police officer working at Taebaek Police Station in Gangwon Province

▲ Police Station in Gangwon Province

revealed the damage caused by sexual violence to the police network. The victim police said I did not want to live now. She needed help. It contains the details that she has been sexually harassed by a male police officer for more than two years. The female police officer said the perpetrator sneaked into the women's police lounge and put flowers on her underwear and openly spread her private life. It has been confirmed that the perpetrator repeatedly sexually harassed the victim police by saying she looked lewd, she should study while pressing her chest. It has been confirmed that 16 police officers involved in the sexual assault belong to the Taebaek Police Station alone. They have been sexually harassing their new female colleagues continuously, but the authorities decided to punish just 12 of them. The remaining four were warned because the water level was judged to be relatively low.

The Taebaek Police Station incident and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's sexual harassment were soon revealed. The three men were found to have had sexual harassment conversations with former police officer D in 2018 through group chat. D was sentenced to four years in prison and dismissed in 2019 after being tried on charges of sexually assaulting a female police colleague.

▲ Public Petition for Punishment of the Police

They were all educated at police schools or worked at the same police station. They said in a group chat room that her buttocks are beautiful. They wanted to touch it once. They reportedly had conversations to the effect of the policewoman which has no background, and they thought of raping her. One of them sent a personal KakaoTalk message to D asking if she wanted to sleep with all the female police in a particular jurisdiction. Although no details have been disclosed, the perpetrators of sexual harassment have been severely punished, including dismissal, demotion, and suspension for three months.

Measures should be taken to prevent secondary damage to victims even after disciplinary action. The perpetrators are more likely to cause secondary damage because they are bosses and more victims than victims. In addition, it is necessary to ensure confidentiality so that the victim will not be labeled as a sexual violence victim in the future by the police. Despite the increasing number of women entering society, people say they still lack awareness of human rights and must take all measures.

June 28, 2021, By Park Hyoin