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Student Sexual Harassment Help Desk

UST provides an exclusive window for issues related to sexual harassment for student welfare.

What is “sexual harassment”?

  • In general, the term "sexual harrasment" means making the other party to feel sexual humiliation or aversion with verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, sexual demand, etc.
  • The legislation cases defining the concept of the sexual harassment can be found in National Human Rights Commission Act, Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation, and Framework Act on Gender Equiality. It elaborates on the sexual harassment as making the other party feel sexual humiliation or aversion with verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, sexual demand, utilizing his/her position or in relation with his/her duties, or expressing one's intention to put the other party at a disadvantage on grounds of not complying with any verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature or other demands or to grant him/her any benefit on condition of complying therewith.
What is “sexual harassment” - Relevant Legal Provision, Definition of Sexual Harassment
Relevant Legal Provision Definition of Sexual Harassment
Paragraph 3 , Article 2 of the National Human Rights Commission Act The term "sexual harassment" means that the working persons, employers or employees of a public agency make others feel sexually humiliated or loathsome by their sexual comments, etc. or giving others disadvantage in the employment on the pretext of disobedience to sexual comments, other demands, etc., by taking full advantage of their superior position or with regard to the duties, etc.
Paragraph 2, Article 2 of the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation The term “sexual harassment at work” refers to a situation where an employer, a superior, or a worker causes another worker to feel sexually humiliated or offended by sexually charged words or actions by using their position in the workplace or in relation to work, or gives disadvantages in employment for disregarding sexual words or actions or any other demands, etc.
Paragraph 2, Article 3 of the Framework Act on Gender Equiality and Article 2 of the Enforcement Decree of Framework Act on Gender Equiality
  • The term "sexual harassment" means a case in which any employee, employer, or worker of a State agency, local government, or public organization prescribed by Presidential Decree (hereinafter referred to as "State agency, etc.") commits either of the following offences in terms of duties, employment and other relations:
  • (a) Making the other party feel sexual humiliation or aversion with verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, sexual demand, etc., utilizing his/her position or in relation with his/her duties, etc.;
  • (b) Expressing one's intention to put the other party at a disadvantage on grounds of not complying with any verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature or other demands or to grant him/her any benefit on condition of complying therewith;

Representative Types of Sexual Harassment

Physical conduct

  • Physical contact such as kissing, hugging, or embracing from behind
  • Touching specific body parts such as breasts or bottom
  • Forcing actions such as caress or massage

Verbal conduct

  • Dirty jokes (Includes phone calls)
  • Making a sexual remarks or evaluation about appearance
  • Asking about the details of someone’s sex life or intentionally spreading information that has sexual contents
  • Forcing or asking for a sexual relationship
  • Forcing someone to sit next to oneself and making him/her pour drinks at department or session meetings

Visual conduct

  • Showing pornographic pictures, photo, graffiti, images (including computers and cellphones)
  • Deliberately showing particular body parts and touching them

Actions to Take against Sexual Harassment

Clearly indicate your refusal

  • Most sexual offenders claim that their conduct was an expression of intimacy. If you do not indicate your refusal, they may mistakenly think that you are enjoying the situation or have agreed to such actions. So when being sexually harassed, you have to express your refusal very clearly.
  • When it is difficult to show refusal, leave the place or display your uncomfortable feelings.
  • The initiator must take this refusal seriously and stop his/her actions immediately.

How to refuse

  • Clearly state how much the conducts make you uncomfortable and that it is disturbing your work, and also clearly state what you want.
  • When doing this through a letter, describe the conduct of the offender according to the 5W1H method (Who, What, When, Where, How, Why) and make sure that the feelings and thoughts are described clearly.

Contents related to the case must be documented or recorded as evidence

  • When the sexual harassment continues even if the victim clearly refused, he/she must record or write down the date, time, location, the specific conduct, witness, as well as the feelings you got from the harassment. This record can be used as evidence when getting help.
  • Witness testimonies must be recorded or written on paper as well.

Sexual Harassment Help Desk

What is the role of the Help Desk?

  • Advising or counseling for victims about the affairs regarding sexual harassment, and receiving sexual harassment complaints
  • Conducting investigation and responding to sexual harassment cases
  • Adjusting cooperation among departments in order to process the sexual harassment case
  • Making and implementing the plan for preventing recurrence of sexual harassment
  • Conducting programs and advertisements in order to prevent sexual harassments

How can I report the case?

  • Contact the Help Desk
    • When the victim or the person who claims to be a victim is a student → Report to Help Desk at the International Cooporation Team
    • When the victim or the person who claims to be a victim is a faculty member → Report to Help Desk at the Academic Affairs Team
  • How to report: Via email or phone
    • Help Desk for International Students : / 042-865-2333(Female), 2332(Male)
    • Help Desk at the Academic Affairs Team : / 042-865-2324(Male)

Operation of Grievance Committee of Sexual Harassment

The operation and procedure of the grievance committee for sexual harassment complies with the UST Regulations for Prevention of Sexual Harassment

Composition of the Committee Composition

Total 6 members including the chief of the committee and

Role of the Committee

  • Prevention and Measures against Sexual Harassment
  • Deliberation and Resolution regarding the offender
    Role of the Committee image : Counseling request - Refer to a committee - (1. Deliberation - Corrective measure of the committee) (2. Counseling request - Direct consultation, Psychological therapy)
  • Request for disciplinary actions against the offender
  • Composition of committee members
  • Other necessary measures in order to solve the case

Deliberation Procedure of the Committee

  1. 01
    Receiving the complaint(Student Support Team / Academic Affairs Team)
  2. 02
    Refer the problem to the committee
  3. 03
    Deliberation and resolution(Committee)
  4. 04
    Final approval(president of UST)
  5. 05
    Relief measures for the victim and disciplinary action against the offender

List of External Consultation Institutions for Sexual Harassment Victims

Related Homepages

Related phone numbers

  • Emergency call for woman/Area code +1366, National Human Rights Commission of Korea ☏1331
  • Seoul counseling center for Migrant Women ☏ 02-733-0120
LEFLET Download
For female counsellor: Jaein Park

pjaein@ust.ac.kr/042-865-2333

For male counsellor: Sung-uk Hong

ryan@ust.ac.kr/042-865-2332