Korea Gas Safety Corporation Employee Given Suspended Prison Sentence for Following and Harassing Subordinate for 30 Minutes

An employee of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation who made inappropriate physical contact with a subordinate during a company dinner has been sentenced to prison with probation.

Cheongju District Court's Chungju Branch Judge Kim Yeon-soo, presiding over Criminal Division 1, announced that the defendant, identified as A, was sentenced to eight months in prison with one year of probation on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (indecent act by compulsion using occupational authority).

Employee A was accused of sexually harassing a subordinate, B, who was sitting next to them by touching B's body during a company dinner in March 2024.

Investigations showed that after B moved to another seat to express refusal, A followed B and continued the forcible indecent act for about 30 minutes.

During the trial, A argued that the contact occurred during a conversation at a public company dinner and that there was no intent to commit an indecent act. However, the court rejected this argument, citing the consistency of the victim's statements.

Judge Kim explained the reasoning behind the sentencing, stating, "The nature of the crime is poor as it was committed by abusing the superior position of a department head. The court took into account that the victim appears to have suffered severe psychological shock from the crime and has petitioned for a strict punishment."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.