South Korean chat app becomes new outlet for #MeToo movement

Hanssem Co

22/02/2018 06:00

* Chat app Blind draws attention to S.Korean workplace 
harassment 
    * S.Koreans wary of whistleblowing in chaebol-dominated 
economy 
    * Public discussion rises, but workers see slow pace of 
change 
 
    By Heekyong Yang 
    SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - A chat app where South Koreans can 
anonymously dish the dirt on their misbehaving bosses and 
colleagues is belatedly stirring the country's #MeToo movement, 
shedding new light on sexual harassment in the heavily 
male-dominated corporate culture.  
    Prompted by a recent wave of complaints about workplace 
misconduct - including a groping allegation made by a South 
Korean public prosecutor last month - the app Blind has added a 
new feature: a message board dedicated to a rising number of 
#MeToo stories.  
    "We thought the prosecutor going public would put fresh 
momentum in the #MeToo movement in South Korea and our #MeToo 
board was definitely inspired by her action," Kim Sungkyum, 
co-founder at Blind's creator TeamBlind said. 
    Koreans are wary of being whistleblowers about harassment at 
family-run conglomerates or chaebol that dominate South Korean 
business. Their big fear: the companies will turn on them for 
rocking the boat and they will be victimized again.  
    Some 61 percent of South Korean respondents working at 
private companies said they would bypass in-house whistleblower 
hotlines, saying they didn't trust their organisation to keep 
complaints confidential, according to a survey by consulting 
firm EY. That was significantly higher than the Asia-Pacific 
average of 37 percent.  
    Instead, South Koreans are turning to Blind, which now has 
over a million users in the world's most wired country. 
    "Employees are reluctant to use internal bulletins for fear 
of reprisals which is part of our country's corporate culture," 
said a banker at a South Korean state run bank who uses the app. 
"I think Blind can make people talk more freely, which can't be 
controlled by their companies." 
     In less than 24 hours after the launch of the #MeToo board 
on Blind more than 500 posts were uploaded, making the app 
intermittently unavailable due to heavy traffic, the app's 
operator says.  
    By Thursday, the board had swelled with more than 1,600 
posts, prompting conversations about workplace sexual misconduct 
ranging from cracking sexist jokes to making unwelcome physical 
advances.   
    GENDER INEQUALITY 
    Blind says it encodes personal data and information to 
protect users' privacy, and users must use their company email 
for verification. 
    When the app first came out four years ago, several 
companies requested Blind take down posts that might be damaging 
to their reputation. TeamBlind says it has not taken down any 
posts at a company's request and has not faced any lawsuits for 
material posted on its message boards.  
    TeamBlind said it does reviews posts and has removed some 
that violated its terms of use, including publishing statements 
that might be defamatory or breach individuals' privacy.     
    Globally, the #MeToo movement has exposed men accused of 
sexual assault and harassment in fields including entertainment, 
politics and business. Dozens of prominent men have quit or been 
fired from high-profile posts, and police have opened 
investigations into some accusations of sex assault. 
    But it was slower to catch on in South Korea, which ranked 
118 out of 144 on gender equality last year, according to the 
World Economic Forum. 
     
    OUTCRY, BOYCOTTS 
    In the case of the public prosecutor - who said her boss 
groped her at a funeral in 2010 - the Supreme Prosecutors' 
Office launched an inquiry into her allegations. The 
investigation is ongoing but the Prosecutor General has promised 
to take action to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.  
    In another incident late last year, South Korean furniture 
maker Hanssem  009240.KS  publicly apologised after a post 
detailing a female employee's experiences of workplace sexual 
abuse went viral, sparking a boycott of the company's products.  
         
     Earlier this month, posts made on Blind said chairman of 
the group that owns Asiana Airlines  020560.KS  had made 
inappropriate physical contact with female flight attendants. 
    Last week, Park Sam-koo, chairman of the airliner's parent 
Kumho Asiana Group, issued an apology over the allegations, 
saying "it was all my carelessness and responsibility". 
    Park did not respond for requests for comment, and the 
company said it had taken no action against him.  
    Despite the increased awareness, many South Korean Blind 
users say they are yet to see significant changes in their 
workplaces.  
    "Through Blind, I have come to realize there are so many 
things that need to be corrected in my company. But I haven't 
seen any sweeping change yet," said another user who said he was 
working for a major conglomerate. "We still have a long way to 
go."  
 
 (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Ju-min Park and Lincoln 
Feast) 
 ((Heekyong.Yang@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5647; Reuters 
Messaging: heekyong.yang.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: SOUTHKOREA METOO/APP