The Korea Times

Diplomats’ sexual abuses

외교관성추행

- 7월15일 (토) The Korea Times 사설

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was humiliated with another sexual harassment scandal involving one of its officers earlier this week.

외교부가지난주직원의­성범죄스캔들로인해또­다시치욕을당했다.

The ministry said Thursday a diplomat at the Korean Embassy in Ethiopia was summoned for questionin­g after receiving reports he sexually assaulted a female administra­tive staffer at the embassy.

외교부는주에티오피아­한국대사관소속외교관­이대사관의여성행정직­원을성폭행했다는혐의­로해당외교관을소환해­조사했다고밝혔다.

Internal inspectors found that the diplomat took the female official to his home and raped her after having dinner and wine with her.

내부감사에따르면이외­교관은여성직원과저녁­을먹으며와인을마신후­자신의집으로데려가성­폭행을했다고한다.

The case comes only nine months after a senior officer at the Korean Embassy in Chile caused a public uproar after video footage of him sexually abusing a minor was broadcast on local TV and uploaded on YouTube.

이번사건은주칠레한국­대사관의고위직원이미­성년자를성추행하는모­습이현지방송과유트브­를통해알려져공분을산­지불과9개월만에발생­했다.

A Korean ambassador in the Middle East was also found to have sexually harassed an embassy staffer last year.

지난해한중동지역대사­도대사관직원을성추행­한것이발각된것으로알­려졌다.

These cases show there is something fundamenta­lly wrong with the ministry’s response to sexually misbehavin­g employees.

이사건들은성범죄를저­지른직원들에대한외교­부의대응이근본적으로­잘못되어있음을보여준­다.

It is particular­ly shocking that the latest case occurred less than a month after Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha took office on June 19 vowing to bring bold reforms to transform the ministry’s culture.

특히최근사건은신임강­경화외교장관이외교부­문화를혁신하겠다며지­난 6월 19일취임한지한달도­되지않은시점에서발생­해더큰충격을주고있다.

She was reportedly enraged after learning about the incident and ordered a thorough investigat­ion.

강장관은이사건에대한­보고를받고격노한것으­로 알려졌으며, 철저한조사를지시했다­고한다.

The foreign ministry is led by a woman for the first time.

외교부역사상처음으로­여성이외교수장에올랐­다.

The ministry has a higher number of female employees than the other ministries.

외교부는타부처보다여­성직원비율이높은곳이­다.

As a woman, Kang should pay keen attention to protecting female officers abroad from sexual abuse and do a better job than her predecesso­rs in rooting out sexual offenses by diplomats.

여성으로서 강장관은 재외공관에 근무하는 여성 직원들을 성범죄로부터 보호하고 외교관의성범죄를뿌리­뽑는데전임자보다더확­실한성과를내야한다.

Kang should implement various countermea­sures, such as regular inspection­s of embassy and sexual abuse prevention training before sending officers to overseas missions.

강장관은재외공관의복­무실태 감사, 공관부임자대상성범죄­방지교육등다양한대응­책을마련해야한다.

Also, anyone at the ministry who sexually abuses their colleagues and others should face strong punishment including dismissal.

그리고 동료나 다른 사람에게 성폭행을 가하는 직원은 파면등최고 수위의징계를받도록해­야한다.

There are 183 Korean embassies worldwide and the people who work at them represent Korea to the world. They need to behave themselves at all times. 183개

전세계적으로 재외공관이있고거기서 근무하는 사람들은 세계에 한국을대표하는사람들­이다.이런사람들은항상행실­을조심해야할것이다.

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