Controversy is mounting within South Korea's Constitutional Court as sexual misconduct allegations against senior-level constitutional researchers continue to surface. While the court is currently conducting disciplinary proceedings on a recent case, critics say its response to internal misconduct has been lukewarm.
According to legal sources on Wednesday, Senior Researcher A is accused of inappropriate physical contact with female constitutional researchers during an internal workshop about three years ago. Although the victims raised the issue at the time, the matter was closed without a formal investigation, sources said. The Constitutional Court explained that grievance consultations had been filed, but no follow-up procedures were pursued in accordance with the victims' wishes.
More recently, Senior Researcher B is undergoing disciplinary proceedings over allegations of repeatedly contacting a female researcher and demanding meetings over several months. Some within the court argue the behavior effectively amounted to "stalking." A disciplinary decision on this case was recently made, with the outcome to be communicated next week.
The issue is that both Senior Researchers A and B were reportedly promoted recently. The Constitutional Court said, "The personnel appointments were made before the disciplinary proceedings began," adding that "necessary personnel measures will be taken after the formal procedures are completed."
