A demonstration is seen in the southeastern city of Daegu, South Korea, in May, to oppose discrimination against women. Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A leading figure in South Korea's #MeToo movement has filed a compensation suit against her former senior colleague and the government for physical and psychological distress.
Public prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun publicly accused her former boss of groping her at a funeral and causing a discriminatory impact on her career since then, in a television news interview earlier this year. She is seeking $89,000 in compensation against former chief prosecutor Ahn Tae-keun and the South Korean government, according to Yonhap News.
Seo said she was moved to a regional branch office against her will after Ahn was promoted to a chief prosecutor.
Seo claimed that Ahn is responsible for his unlawful acts and the government should also pay for damages by failing to prevent sexual harassment and letting Ahn get away with his misdeed.
"I risked everything to reveal Ahn's sexual misconduct and Ahn is under a criminal trial for his abuse of official authority. He holds a responsibility to compensate my psychological and physical distress," Seo was quoted as saying in the Yonhap News report.
Seo, mother of a 10-year-old son, has been on medical leave since her TV interview in January. In an interview with Time published Oct. 9, she said hadn't received an apology for the incident or for how she was treated afterward.
"Nothing has changed in the prosecutor's office," she said. "I've heard that they still think of me as an enemy who disgraced the office, and that they are still not trusting my words."
Ahn has denied the allegations.
