One in five office workers experience sexual harassment… “Endure it in silence or pretend not to know.”

In South Korea, approximately one in every five employees experiences sexual harassment at work, according to a recent survey conducted by the employment assistance firm, 직장갑질119. The survey, which polled 19 or older workers nationwide between January and July, found that 20.3% of respondents had suffered sexual harassment, 15.4% had endured sexual assault, and 13.9% had been stalked.

However, only 14.3% of victims actively reported the incidents to their companies or labor unions. Instead, 40.9% chose to "deal with it themselves" or "remain silent." This reluctance to report stems from concerns about secondary trauma, such as fear that protective measures for victims may be inadequate, that victims might be blamed, and that corporations might prioritize the reputation of the perpetrator or the company over the well-being of the victim.

Many victims chose to lodge complaints with friends, colleagues, or even the police instead. The survey also revealed that 33.1% of sexual assault victims decided to confront the perpetrator or a colleague, while 27.3% opted to "deal with it" themselves, indicating a need for improved company policies and cultural changes to better support sexual harassment victims.