Survey: 1 in 5 South Korean Workers Faced Sexual Harassment on Job

The poll, conducted by Global Research, found that 20.3% of respondents had faced sexual harassment, 15.4% had experienced sexual assault or violence, and 13.9% had been stalked. The online survey covered workers aged 19 and older nationwide from the 1st to the 7th of last month. Despite the prevalence, most victims do not actively seek resolution.

Perpetrators were most often senior colleagues (32.5%) or peers of similar rank (23.6%), and incidents occurred most frequently at company dinners (46.3%), in-office workspaces (39.4%), and during business trips (36%). Only 14.3% of victims reported the incident to their company or union, while 40.9% said they endured it or pretended not to notice, and 22.2% protested individually or with colleagues. Notably, 14.8% quit their jobs, a higher rate than those who reported to authorities (5.9%). Among sexual assault victims, 33.1% protested individually or with colleagues, while 27.3% endured it silently.