It has belatedly been learned that a Grade 4 aide who worked at the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Joon-hyok in the Gyeonggi Province Suwon region was sentenced to prison in the first trial and taken into custody after committing a sexual offense against an intern secretary.

In July, the Suwon District Court sentenced A, a man in his 60s who was indicted on charges including indecent act by compulsion using occupational authority and quasi-rape, to two years in prison and ordered him legally detained.

A is accused of committing an indecent act and quasi-rape against B, an intern in their 20s who worked at the same office in May of last year.

It was found that A had a private dinner with B under the pretext of wanting to become closer, and lured B to an accommodation establishment and committed the crime even though B expressed an intention to go home.

The court particularly judged that A's remark during the dinner, stating that "if a Grade 9 secretary position becomes vacant, B could move into that position," constituted psychological pressure implying that rejecting sexual demands could result in losing employment opportunities.

It was also found that A routinely boasted about his close relationship with Lawmaker Kim and his ability to exert influence over B's employment.

The court reprimanded A, stating, "The nature of the crime is grave, as the victim, who had about a month left in their intern contract and had no particular personal ties with the defendant, was called out to drink alcohol, was notified of advantages or disadvantages in the hiring process, and was then moved to lodging to be subjected to indecent acts."

The court added, "The victim suffered considerable sexual humiliation and psychological shock and resigned immediately after the incident occurred. Nevertheless, the defendant has denied all charges and failed to reach a settlement with the victim, making severe punishment inevitable."

It was understood that A resigned immediately after the victim stepped down.

In response, Lawmaker Kim Joon-hyok explained on social media today, "Immediately after the incident occurred, I conveyed my intention to provide legal assistance and compensation support to the victim, and the perpetrator expressed his intent to reflect."

He added, "My responsibility for failing to thoroughly manage the staff working with me is very heavy," offering an apology.

(Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Kim Gi-hyeon | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)