A court has ruled that scratching someone's palm with a finger while shaking hands may constitute sexual harassment, but it is difficult to view it as forcible indecency, which is subject to criminal punishment.

Judge Lee Jae-wook of Criminal Division 3 at the Ulsan District Court acquitted Chief Executive Officer A of an Ulsan-based company, who had been put on trial on charges of forcible indecency.

CEO A was put on trial on charges of scratching a female employee's palm multiple times with a finger and wrapping his hand around the back of her hand to stroke it while shaking hands with her for the first time at a labor union office in March of last year.

At the time, after CEO A left, the female employee searched the internet for the meaning of the action, felt offended, and informed a colleague. Although CEO A apologized the next day, the case was eventually brought to trial.

The court stated, "While CEO A's actions could be unpleasant from the female employee's perspective and could be perceived as sexual harassment," it also judged that "it is difficult to view it as having been done by force as an act of indecency."

The reasoning was that while scratching a palm or stroking the back of a hand while shaking hands may be an excessive expression containing sexual intent, it did not reach the level of being coercive or involving the use of violence.

The court strictly distinguished the legal criteria between sexual harassment and forcible indecency, explaining the reason for the acquittal by stating, "Synthesizing witness statements and other evidence, the handshake was not particularly long, nor were there any other unusual behaviors."

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News