S.Korea accepts sex harassment as 'workplace injury'

A South Korean woman who suffered repeated sexual harassment at work will be awarded compensation, the state workers' welfare agency said in a landmark ruling which acknowledged her suffering amounted to a work-related injury. Saturday's judgment marked the first time that suffering caused by sexual harassment has been classed as a workplace injury, and many other victims are now likely to file similar appeals with the agency, the Yonhap news service reported. According to the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, the woman, whose name was withheld for reasons of privacy, had suffered from unwelcome sexual advances from two men at her company since 2009. The woman, who worked at an autoparts maker in the southwestern city of Asan for the past 14 years, was repeatedly groped, and also received lewd text messages. A medical document said she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, experiencing intrusive recollections of the harassment, showed exaggerated startle response and suffered from a sleep disorder. The National Human Rights Commission earlier recommended that the two male officials should pay a total of nine million won (US$7,725) in compensation. The victim will be paid for her medical expenses and receive other financial compensation, the welfare agency said.