#MeToo bills still pending in the Assembly

Despite the strength of the #MeToo movement in universities and schools across Korea, none of the related bills proposed in the National Assembly have passed the legislature yet.

Sixteen bills related to sexual abuse in education have been submitted to the National Assembly since July 2017. The bills include increasing the punishment of sexual offenders, re-organizing each university’s disciplinary committee to increase the effectiveness of disciplinary measures, and preventing university boards from intervening in sexual abuse incidents.

“Considering the context of the current #MeToo movement, the situation of the legislation is problematic,” Yonhap quoted a Justice Party official as saying. “Prompt legislative measures and budget allocation is necessary because without amendment and proper budget, systematic change is technically impossible.”

Fortunately, legislation regarding discipline of educational officials has been pre-announced, which has raised hopes for amendment by the end of this year at the least.

The establishment of independent watchdogs was proposed in May to prevent professors from abusing their authority to interfere in sexual harassment cases, but budget issues have cast doubt on the program’s implementation.

The government program originally asked for 3 billion won to create watch centers in 15 universities. However, the budget bill for next year has allocated just 300 million won to the project.

By Lee Tae-hee (taeheelee@heraldcorp.com)