Administrative

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense Lawyer

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense Lawyer | What Actually Happens After a Complaint Is Filed

Summary

Under the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act, an employer that becomes aware of workplace sexual harassment must investigate promptly and, if the conduct is confirmed, take disciplinary or other necessary measures against the person found responsible (남녀고용평등과 일가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제14조). Being named as a respondent does not mean the outcome is predetermined — the definition of "sexual harassment" turns heavily on context, the relationship between the parties, and whether the conduct was unwelcome, and each of those elements can be genuinely contested. This page is written from the perspective of the employee who has been accused, to explain the investigation, disciplinary review, and any labor commission proceedings that may follow, and where a lawyer's help is most useful.

Administrative · Employment Statute: Equal Employment Opportunity Act Respondent / Accused Employee Internal HR Investigation

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense | Disputing Intent, Context, and Whether Conduct Was Actually Unwelcome

Most cases turn less on whether words or actions occurred — that is often not disputed — and more on how they should be characterized. This is where a defense is actually built.

The legal definition requires more than an uncomfortable remark

Workplace sexual harassment is defined as sexually motivated words, conduct, or other requests made using one's position or in connection with work, that cause sexual humiliation or aversion to another employee, or that disadvantage that employee for refusing (남녀고용평등과 일가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제2조 제2호). Whether a specific comment or gesture meets this definition depends on the relationship between the parties, the setting, repetition, and the reasonable perception of a person in the recipient's position — not solely the accused's subjective intent, but intent and context remain material facts that can be presented and cross-examined.

Prior relationship and consent context matter but are limited defenses

Where the accused and complainant had an existing personal or working relationship in which similar exchanges occurred without objection, that history can be relevant to whether conduct was genuinely 'unwelcome' at the time in question. However, investigators and courts generally hold that a prior relationship does not give blanket permission for later conduct, so this argument works best combined with specific facts, not asserted alone.

Single isolated remarks versus a pattern

A single ambiguous comment is evaluated differently from a pattern of repeated conduct after an objection was already raised. If the complaint describes a pattern, it is important to review each incident separately rather than treating the accusation as one undifferentiated block, since the strength of evidence often varies incident by incident.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense | Responding to the Internal Investigation and Contesting Disciplinary Severity

Even where some conduct is acknowledged, the employer's disciplinary measure must be proportionate, and procedural defects in how the investigation was run can be challenged separately from the underlying facts.

Your rights during the internal investigation

The employer is required to take necessary measures such as confidentiality protection during the investigation and must not disadvantage the employee who reported the matter, but this also means the accused should not be presumed guilty before the investigation concludes and is generally entitled to know the substance of the allegation and to respond to it (남녀고용평등과 일가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제14조). Requesting a clear written statement of the allegations, and keeping your own contemporaneous record of the interview process, is one of the most useful early steps.

Disciplinary measures must be proportionate to the confirmed conduct

Even if the investigation confirms some level of misconduct, the severity of discipline (warning, pay reduction, suspension, or dismissal) should correspond to the gravity, frequency, and impact of the specific conduct actually found — not to the broader accusation as originally framed. Where dismissal or another severe sanction is imposed for conduct that is disputed or minor, an application to the Labor Relations Commission challenging the disciplinary action as unjust may be considered (근로기준법 제23조, 제28조).

Procedural defects can be raised independently of the facts

If the employer's own internal rules of employment specify a disciplinary committee, advance notice, or an opportunity to state one's position, and those steps were skipped or rushed, that procedural failure can be argued as a separate ground for challenging the outcome, regardless of how the underlying facts are ultimately viewed.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense | From Notice of Complaint to Resolution

Initial notice and document review
Before the first interview, request the specific allegations in writing and review your employment contract, workplace rules, and any prior related exchanges.

Investigation interview
Prepare a factual, chronological account of the incidents referenced, distinguishing disputed characterization from undisputed facts.

Employer's findings and proposed measure
If the employer proposes discipline, review whether the measure is proportionate to the specific findings and whether internal procedure was followed.

Internal appeal or disciplinary committee hearing
Where the workplace rules provide for it, a hearing or reconsideration request can be used to present context and mitigating factors before a final decision.

Labor Relations Commission or civil proceedings
If dismissal or another severe measure follows, an unfair dismissal or unfair disciplinary action application can be filed within the statutory period; separate civil or criminal exposure is assessed independently.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense | How Fees Are Structured

Initial Consultation & Case Review
Fees for reviewing the complaint, workplace rules, and available evidence to assess your position are generally set based on the complexity and volume of documents involved.

Representation Fee (Retainer)
For representation during the internal investigation, disciplinary committee hearing, or Labor Relations Commission proceeding, a retainer is typically set based on the stage reached and the severity of the measure at stake.

Contingent or Success-Linked Fee
Where applicable and permitted, a portion of the fee may be linked to a favorable outcome such as reduction of the disciplinary measure or reinstatement; this is discussed and agreed case by case.

Disbursements
Separate costs such as commission filing fees, document certification, or expert opinion fees are billed as incurred, based on actual expense.

※ Costs vary depending on case complexity and specific circumstances; exact fees will be provided during consultation. No specific outcome is guaranteed.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Defense | Self-Check for the Accused Employee

1️⃣ Before Your First Interview

Have you received the allegations in writing, or only a verbal summary?
Do you have your own record of the dates, messages, and witnesses involved?
Is there a prior relationship or context with the complainant that explains the exchange?
Have you avoided contacting the complainant directly since the complaint was filed?

2️⃣ During the Internal Investigation

Were you told who is investigating and under what internal procedure?
Have you been given a fair opportunity to respond to each specific allegation?
Is the investigation being kept confidential, or has information already spread in the workplace?
Have you kept copies of any written statement you submitted?

3️⃣ If Discipline Is Proposed

Does the proposed measure match the severity of what was actually confirmed, not just the original accusation?
Did the employer follow its own rules of employment on disciplinary procedure?
Were mitigating facts, such as a single incident versus a pattern, considered?
Is there a deadline to appeal internally or to file with the Labor Relations Commission?

4️⃣ If Civil or Criminal Exposure Follows

Has the complainant filed a separate criminal complaint or civil claim?
Have you avoided making statements to the complainant or coworkers that could be used against you later?
Are you clear on the difference between the internal HR process and any criminal investigation?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I was just notified of a complaint against me. What should I do first?

A. Before your first interview, request a written summary of the specific allegations and write down your own recollection of the relevant dates and exchanges while your memory is fresh. Avoid contacting the complainant directly, and consider consulting a lawyer before making any written statement to the employer.

Q. Can I be dismissed just for being accused, before the investigation finishes?

A. An employer generally cannot dismiss you solely because an accusation was made; a dismissal requires justifiable cause based on findings after the process, and an unjustified dismissal can be challenged before the Labor Relations Commission (근로기준법 제23조). However, some employers do suspend or reassign an accused employee during the investigation, which is a separate issue from final discipline.

Q. Does it matter if I didn't intend anything sexual by what I said?

A. Intent is one relevant factor, but the statutory definition also looks at whether the conduct caused sexual humiliation or aversion from the recipient's perspective in that context, so subjective intent alone is not a complete defense (남녀고용평등과 일가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제2조 제2호). Even so, context and intent remain facts that can be argued and can affect the severity of any measure taken.

Q. Can I get my own record of what happened, or only rely on the employer's investigation report?

A. You are generally entitled to know the substance of the allegations against you and to present your own account and evidence during the investigation. Keeping your own contemporaneous notes, messages, and witness information strengthens your ability to respond to the employer's eventual findings.

Q. What if the complaint describes several incidents but I only remember one clearly?

A. Each incident referenced in a complaint should be reviewed separately rather than treated as a single undifferentiated accusation, since evidence and context often differ incident by incident. This distinction can materially affect both the investigation's findings and the proportionality of any resulting discipline.

Q. If I'm disciplined, can I challenge it even if some of the conduct is confirmed?

A. Yes — even where some conduct is confirmed, you can still argue that the specific measure imposed (such as dismissal) is disproportionate to what was actually found, and file an application with the Labor Relations Commission for unfair disciplinary action if you believe the measure was unjust (근로기준법 제28조).

Q. Is there a deadline to challenge a disciplinary decision or dismissal?

A. An application for remedy against unfair dismissal or unfair disciplinary action must generally be filed with the Labor Relations Commission within three months of the date of the measure, so it is important to act promptly once a final decision is issued (근로기준법 제28조 제2항).

Q. Could this also become a criminal matter?

A. Some conduct alleged as workplace sexual harassment could separately be reviewed under criminal statutes such as those addressing forcible indecency or stalking, depending on the specific acts alleged, and that is a separate track from the internal HR process with its own procedure and standards of proof. If a criminal complaint has been filed, that should be assessed independently from the workplace investigation.

Q. Will my case become public within the company?

A. The employer is required to take measures to protect confidentiality during the investigation and generally should not disclose details beyond those who need to know, but in practice information can spread depending on workplace size and culture. If confidentiality has been breached, that itself may be raised as a separate issue with the employer.

Q. Should I resign to avoid a formal disciplinary record?

A. Resigning before the investigation concludes does not necessarily prevent the underlying facts from being referenced later, for example in a reference check or a related civil claim, and it forfeits your opportunity to contest the findings through the internal process. Whether resignation is advisable depends heavily on the specific allegations and the likely severity of any disciplinary outcome, and is worth discussing before deciding.

Official References

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