South Korean survivor fights for workplace harassment ‘justice’

Baek Song-yi, a 40-year-old advocate, is spearheading a campaign in South Korea for greater transparency in workplace harassment cases. After experiencing verbal harassment from her boss at a former employer, a US firm with international offices, Baek was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement that warned she could be fired for disclosing information about the process. This experience highlighted a troubling aspect of South Korea's response to workplace harassment: victims are often expected to remain silent while employers have no clear legal obligation to inform them about the outcomes of their complaints.

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I was just so stunned.

Despite her shock, Baek refused the agreement, and the investigation proceeded, ultimately validating her complaint. However, the company declined to reveal any disciplinary actions, citing South Korea's privacy protection law. Baek was only told that her harasser would be "monitored." Having since left the company, she never learned if her request to prevent him from accessing the firm's South Korean office was granted. "I just felt like victims are left with no closure, no sense of justice and no way of knowing," she stated.

Baek is now pushing for legislation mirroring California's Silenced No More Act, which limits non-disclosure agreements in such cases. She also seeks a clear legal right for victims to be informed about disciplinary measures. Critics argue that South Korea's seven-year-old anti-bullying law offers inadequate protections. A 2025 study by Gapjil 119 found that only 15.3 percent of victims reported harassment, with many fearing repercussions or believing that no action would change anything.

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I just felt like victims are left with no closure, no sense of justice and no way of knowing.

Experts note that while the law requires employers to act against confirmed harassers, it often leaves victims in the dark, potentially shielding perpetrators' reputations. "Employers have full discretion over whether to disclose disciplinary action, as there is no provision requiring them to inform the victim," labor attorney Kim Yu-kyung explained. Another woman, identified only as Yoo, faced a similar struggle after pursuing a complaint for 10 months. Her former employer cited "privacy concerns" and vaguely stated that action was taken under "company rules." The labor ministry, which supported her complaint, eventually allowed Yoo to inspect the rules in person, but without notes or photos. She discovered the rules contained no provisions on workplace harassment.

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Employers have full discretion over whether to disclose disciplinary action, as there is no provision requiring them to inform the victim.