And now to the recently ignited MeToo movement in Korea,... following a public prosecutor who went public with allegations that she was groped by a senior offical and then demoted after she complained. <br />Cha Sang-mi gets us up to speed with the developments. <br /> The 'MeToo' movement that started in the U.S., is now growing in Korea, after public prosecutor Seo Ji-hyeon revealed her experience of sexual harassment within her workplace.<br /><br /> And to complement the rise of the 'MeToo' movement, Seoul court judge Moon Yoo-seok started the 'MeFirst' hashtag, calling on people who witness sexual harassment to speak out to try and prevent it, rather than being spectators.<br /><br /> Seo Ji-hyeon, a prosecutor at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, on Thursday requested that the probe team protect her from rumors regarding her performance and work discipline after revealing her experience.<br />She also said she had even received awards from the Justice Ministry for solid work performance.<br /><br /> A special inquiry team, headed by chief prosecutor Cho Hee-jin, was set up to probe into the alleged sexual misconduct case.<br />Cho at a press briefing on Thursday said she hopes the launch of the inquiry team will serve as a chance for men and women to work as equals in a work culture.<br />She also pledged to do her best to make sure Seo doesn't receive any secondary victimization.<br /><br />Gender experts highlight the seriousness of secondary victimization in sexual assault cases.<br /><br /> "The 'MeToo' movement can bring forth a phenomenon, in which the victim although they haven't done anything wrong, ends up disadvantaged,... especially in Korea -- a very male-dominated and patriarchal society."<br /><br /> Seo had posted on an internal board on Monday that she was groped by a then-senior Justice Ministry official at a funeral dinner 8 years ago. <br /> Seo appeared on a primetime cable news program on Monday,... to make public her experiences and demanded an apology from the alleged offender Ahn Tae-geun - a former prosecutor.<br /> Her appearance sparked a public uproar with thousands of Koreans protesting outside of the court and signing online petitions on the presidential office's website demanding an investigation into the matter.<br />Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News. <br />
