S. Korean leader sacked for assault

Seoul, Jan. 25: The head of a left-wing South Korean political party that has championed gender equality was sacked on Monday for sexually harassing one of his own MPs, a prominent rights campaigner.

Kim Jong-Cheol was chairman of the Justice Party, which with six representatives is the thirdlargest in the South Korean parliament, and was stripped of his position after admitting harassing Jang Hyeyeong, the party said in a statement.

He is the latest male politician to be brought down by an abuse case in the socially conservative and traditionally patriarchal country, where victims have long faced pressure to remain silent.

Jang, 33, was elected last year and is among South Korea’s youngest MPs.

She is known for her human rights activism and drew up an anti-discrimination bill last year that would ban favouritism based on sex, race, age, sexual orientation, disability or religion, but has yet to be put to a vote.

The incident happened following a dinner last month, and the party mounted an investigation after Jang reported it three days later.

“This is blatant sexual harassment without a doubt,” deputy leader Bae Bok-ju told reporters.

“Kim, the perpetrator, has also acknowledged all allegations.” South Korea remains male-dominated despite its economic and technological advances, and sexual abuse victims often face stigma, discouraging them from coming forward. But the country has seen a widespread #MeToo movement in the last few years. —