S Korea app becomes new outlet for #MeToo

: A chat app where South Koreans can anonymously dish the dirt on their misbehaving bosses and colleagues is belatedly stirring the country’s #MeToo movement, shedding new light on sexual harassment in the heavily male-dominated corporate culture.

Prompted by a recent wave of complaints about workplace misconduct – including a groping allegation made by a South Korean public prosecutor last month - the app Blind has added a new feature: a message board dedicated to a rising number of #MeToo stories.

“We thought the prosecutor going public would put fresh momentum in the #MeToo movement in South Korea and our #MeToo board was definitely inspired by her action,” Kim Sungkyum, co-founder at Blind’s creator TeamBlind said.

Koreans are wary of being whistleblowers about harassment at family-run conglomerates or chaebol that dominate South Korean business. Their big fear: the companies will turn on them for rocking the boat and they will be victimised again.

Some 61% of South Korean respondents working at private companies said they would bypass in-house whistleblower hotlines, saying they didn’t trust their organisation to keep complaints confidential, a survey by consulting firm EY said.

Instead, South Koreans are turning to Blind, which now has over a million users.

A banker who uses the app said: “I think Blind can make people talk more freely, which can’t be controlled by their companies.”

Despite the increased awareness, many South Korean Blind users say they are yet to see significant changes in their workplaces.

“Through Blind, I have come to realize there are so many things that need to be corrected in my company. But I haven’t seen any sweeping change yet,” said another user. “We still have a long way to go.” REUTERS

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