Story Of Korean Student Being Sexually Harassed By Her Professor Is Going Viral
The story of a South Korean university professor accused of sexually harassing a student has sparked widespread attention and public outrage. Park Geun Hyung, a well-known theater director and faculty member at the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), has been suspended for three months following allegations of misconduct involving a student.
The incident took place in April when Park was reportedly dining and drinking with students. During the gathering, he allegedly kissed one of his female students on the cheek and made inappropriate comments, including calling her affectionate names and stating his fondness for her. These actions prompted an investigation by K-Arts’ disciplinary committee, which concluded in August that the accusations were credible. Based on their findings, Park was suspended for three months, citing breaches of ethical guidelines and national civil servant laws.
Despite his suspension from August 21 to November 20, Park was discovered to have held performances at various venues, including theaters in Gwangju and Miryang, without obtaining the necessary permissions from the university.
The scandal has also affected future projects. The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture announced the cancellation of two plays directed by Park, “Winter is Cold and Spring is Far Away” and “Summer is Hot and Winter is Long,” which were set to be staged in December and January. Notably, “Summer is Hot, and Winter is Long” explores the destruction of a family torn apart by a sexual harassment scandal, an ironic reflection given the circumstances.
A representative from the foundation stated that the decision to cancel was made after verifying the disciplinary action. Refunds for tickets that had already been purchased were promised.
Lawmaker Park Jung Ha expressed concern, highlighting that although the #MeToo movement made waves in the theater world six years ago, meaningful change has been slow. He called for stricter measures to prevent public funds from supporting projects involving individuals facing allegations of misconduct.
Meanwhile, this story has gone viral among Korean netizens, becoming a hot topic in forums like TheQoo where it has garnered over 64,000 views and hundreds of comments condemning the professor’s behavior.
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