As Korean employees return to offices, so does workplace bullying or ‘gapjil’

South Korean government fights overwork 3:02 Seoul (CNN) — As employees return to offices in South Korea, so too does gapjil, the country’s long-standing toxic work culture problem . Nearly 30% of South Korean office workers have experienced some form of workplace harassment in the past year, according to an online survey of 1,000 respondents across the country in June, up from 23.5 % in a similar survey in March. The most recent survey, published this Sunday, was conducted by the research group Embrain Public and commissioned by Workplace Gapjil 119, an organization that helps victims of workplace abuse. Respondents reported problems including sexual harassment by superiors and verbal and physical abuse. One employee said he felt threatened when his supervisor cursed at him angrily. Another described receiving late-night text messages from his boss that contained abusive and sexual language after he had been drinking. Others had faced exclusion from office groups and been insulted by superiors in front of their peers. Some said they had been punished when they reported the harassment, by being sent to a new workplace or being forced to leave their company altogether, but the majority of respondents chose not to take action, instead ignoring the punishment. issue. Many also chose to resign, fearing that reporting the abuse would harm their future job prospects. Women and part-time or gig workers were more likely to be victims of workplace harassment, while supervisors and managers were the most common perpetrators, according to the report. A crowd of people walk along the platform of a train station in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 30, 2021. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE/AFP) (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images) The gapjil or workplace bullying Many respondents said their mental health had deteriorated due to workplace bullying, although only a few sought treatment or counseling after developing depression, insomnia, lack of motivation and other problems. Gapjil, a Korean word for those in power who dominate their subordinates, has long been a prevalent problem in the country, especially within the elite families that dominate South Korea’s business and politics. The issue came to the fore in 2019 when Lee Myung-hee, matriarch of the Korean Air dynasty, was accused of physically and verbally abusing her staff, including throwing metal scissors at her gardener and forcing another staff member to kneel afterward. to forget to buy ginger. She reads she received a suspended sentence in 2020, which allows her to avoid jail time if she can avoid committing other crimes for three years. The ruling was seen as a blow to labor rights activists. During his tenure, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who left office in May, repeatedly promised to tackle gapjil, which he described as a “major evil in the workplace.” And harassment isn’t just a problem in Korean workplaces: gender discrimination remains deeply entrenched, especially during job interviews, when women are frequently asked about their plans for marriage or children. In 2019, South Korea passed a law that says bosses who unfairly fire workers for complaining of harassment can face up to three years in prison or a 30 million won ($25,464) fine. Reports of gapjil, or workplace bullying, dropped after the law, and even more so during the pandemic when employees were largely working from home, according to Sunday’s report. But reports have skyrocketed in recent months as people have returned to the office.