[단독] Foreign Ministry Hides New Zealand Sexual Harassment Statement

It was confirmed on the 10th that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed a staff committee related to the sexual harassment of local employees of K diplomats in New Zealand, which occurred in late 2017, and filled 2 out of 3 members as direct reports of K diplomats. He asked the perpetrator’s subordinates to investigate the supervisor’s misconduct and decide whether to punish them or not.

It is noted that the personnel committee was improperly organized in the first days of the incident and no conclusive evidence, such as CCTV footage, was obtained. The Foreign Ministry also failed to disclose the fact that President Moon Jae-in directly protested this incident during the recent summit talks in New Zealand and obtained additional indictments claiming that “there was not only contact with the buttocks but also with the genitals. ” . Instead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed an attitude of throwing an anonymous official in favor of the perpetrator, saying: “The victim changed his words” and “asked for an agreement.”

The National Human Rights Commission (CDH), which investigated the case, said that the content of the victim’s petition was “recognized.” It is also considerable. “At the same time, he warned that” (the perpetrator) will pay 12 million won to the victims, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should prepare a manual to ensure the impartiality of the investigation and relief in case of a crime. sexual”.

/ Reporter Noh Seok-jo

According to the decision of the human rights commission on the case obtained by this magazine, on January 19, 2018, the first staff committee on the sexual misconduct of diplomat K was held at the New Zealand embassy. two months since K’s diplomat touched the sensitive body part of a local same-sex embassy employee three times in November-December 2017. This personnel committee was made up exclusively of New Zealand missions. The president was the ambassador to New Zealand and the other two members were also employees of the embassy. The committee made a decision on disciplinary action based on the content of the embassy grievance officer’s self-investigation and the statements of the perpetrators and victims. The victim indicated in detail the exact date and time of the damage, and the aggressor denied the alleged sexual harassment, but admitted the fact of physical contact.

However, the personnel committee decided to give the victims a special vacation and only warn the perpetrators. After the victim raised the issue again, the Foreign Ministry opened a personnel committee that included outside staff at headquarters in early 2019 and imposed a “ one-month salary reduction ” on diplomat K. Until Now the Foreign Ministry has come under fire for punishing K’s diplomats with a ‘month-long pay cut’ cotton bat, but only gave lighter warning measures at first. Some point out that if victims had not consistently raised the issue, a personnel committee that included outside staff would not have been convened in 2019.

In this regard, the Human Rights Commission noted that even if the embassy admits that there is no provision for the investigation and treatment of sexual harassment, the establishment of a personnel committee as an embassy official with the perpetrator as superior could lead to to unfair disputes. In its decision, the Human Rights Commission said: “The perpetrators only received ‘warning’ measures in this commission, and it would have been difficult for the victim to accept this as a legitimate measure or as a result of protecting victims of sexual harassment.” . She said: “It is proof that the victim reported her again during the special audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (after the first report to the embassy).”

According to the decision, diplomat K is accused of taking an elevator in a building in Wellington in November 2017 and coming down from the 11th floor of the embassy, ​​touching W’s belly and grabbing his penis at the same time. At the beginning of the same month, a K diplomat called Mr. W into his office and touched his butt. However, the Human Rights Commission said that during the first days of the incident no evidence, such as CCTV images related to this, was obtained and the perpetrator denied the accusations and that it was ultimately not confirmed. The Foreign Ministry is known to plan to mediate in the direction the two parties agree to rather than re-investigate the case.