Constitutional court takes disciplinary action for first time against official accused of sexual misconduct
Published: 19 Apr. 2026, 14:40
![A woman passes by the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 25. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/19/945c8e1a-1633-4cb0-8b38-ea2a95744424.jpg)
A woman passes by the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 25. [NEWS1]
For the first time in its history, the Constitutional Court has taken disciplinary action against an official accused of committing sexual misconduct.
A senior research officer is currently undergoing disciplinary procedures over allegations of repeatedly attempting to contact a female researcher and asking to meet over several months, which some within the organization have argued is tantamount to stalking.
The court recently issued a disciplinary decision in this case, which is scheduled to be delivered to the individual next week. This marks the first such disciplinary action by the court since its establishment in 1988.
The senior research officer in question was recently promoted, but the court said the appointment was made before disciplinary procedures were initiated against him.
“Taking action based solely on a report alone could have caused procedural issues,” the court explained, adding that “personnel measures are made after formal procedures are carried out.”
Another senior research officer at the court is also accused of engaging in inappropriate physical contact with female researchers while intoxicated during an internal workshop about three years ago, according to legal insiders on Sunday.
Other senior-level researchers allegedly failed to address the issue even after the victims raised concerns.
A complaint was filed at the time, but no formal procedure, such as the formation of a sexual harassment complaint committee, was undertaken, according to domestic media reports that cited court officials.
They also noted that, in accordance with its 2023 consultation manual on sexual harassment and sexual violence, the matter was concluded without launching a formal investigation in accordance with the wishes of the victims.
“At the time, there were concerns that a full-scale investigation could lead to more harm against the victim and risk further escalating the issue, so I’ve heard that it was managed among the parties involved,” said a legal expert familiar with the court’s internal affairs to media outlets.
However, the senior research officer was later promoted, prompting criticism of the court’s handling of the sexual assault allegations against him.
The appointment was made after “fully hearing the opinions of the victims,” the court stated in media reports.
The situation within the court is “something that should never have happened,” according to a senior legal figure who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo on the condition of anonymity.
“It is regrettable that such an incident occurred,” the senior legal figure said. “Appropriate measures should be taken.”
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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