Chonnam National University professor sentenced to two years for sexually assaulting female students
Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 12:03
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[KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]
A professor at Chonnam National University was sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting female students and taken into immediate custody.
The Gwangju District Court sentenced the professor on Wednesday to two years in prison for forcible molestation and ordered the professor’s detention in court. The court also ordered the professor to complete 40 hours of sexual violence prevention education along with a five-year employment restriction.
The professor is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting his students at restaurants and parks between 2022 and 2024.
He denied the charges in court, saying, "It was merely an expression of encouragement and friendship, and there was no intent to commit forcible molestation."
"Even if there was accidental physical contact, they were acts tolerable under the social norm," he continued. The professor also submitted a petition stating that "the students are making false claims."
"Do you have a daughter?" the judge asked before delivering the sentence.
"If your daughter experienced the same molestation from her college professor, would you truly brush it off by saying, 'That can happen between a professor and student'?" the judge asked. "You should look back on yourself."
"Have you even tried to understand what the victims are going through?" asked the judge. The judge added that the victims have undergone psychiatric treatment and have complained of mental distress to the point of contemplating suicide.
"The defendant molested students who were under the defendant’s supervision and even accused the victims of lying," the court said. "It is highly doubtful whether there are any signs of remorse."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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