A South Korean court has awarded 309.5 million won (US$224,700) in damages to a woman who suffered sexual harassment and subsequent retaliation while serving in the Jin-Gak Buddhist Order. The Seoul Northern District Court ruled in favor of the woman in her lawsuit against the monk who assaulted her and the Buddhist order that failed to protect her rights.
The court’s decision, issued in June, found that the plaintiff was subjected to sexual harassment by a high-ranking monk and faced unjust personnel actions, including a forced transfer, after disclosing the abuse. According to the judgment, 100 million won was awarded for the sexual harassment, 200 million won for the retaliatory transfer, and the remaining money was to cover therapy and psychological treatment expenses resulting from the trauma.
The woman, who joined the Jin-Gak Buddhist Order in 2017 at the age of 25, publicly disclosed the abuse in 2021. In a televised interview with South Korean broadcaster SBS, she stated that the monk, who was then in his 50s, repeatedly touched her without consent in the workplace. A colleague confirmed that the woman had shown visible discomfort in response to the monk’s physical advances at the time.
Following her allegations, the Jin-Gak Order’s disciplinary committee suspended the monk for five years beginning in December 2021. However, this disciplinary action was later overturned by the order’s leadership, which reassigned the victim to work in the city of Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, under what the court deemed to be unjustified circumstances.
The court’s ruling adds to a series of legal developments in the case. In November 2023, the Jin-Gak Order and its human resources official were convicted of violating the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act and the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act. These convictions affirmed that the reassignment was not only punitive but also in breach of national laws intended to protect victims of sexual misconduct and whistleblowers.
In February 2025, the monk was sentenced to 10 months in prison, with the sentence suspended for two years. He has since appealed the decision and is undergoing appellate proceedings.
The Jin-Gak Order has not publicly commented on the court’s compensation ruling. The case has drawn significant public attention in South Korea, where the #MeToo movement continues to shape public discourse around sexual harassment in religious, academic, and corporate institutions.
South Korea is home to several Buddhist traditions, with the Jogye Order being the largest and most prominent. The Jin-Gak Order is a smaller community that operates a network of temples and centers across the country. Like other religious institutions, it has faced increasing calls for transparency and accountability amid a broader societal reckoning with institutional abuse.
The ruling has been seen by advocacy groups as a significant step toward justice for survivors of sexual harassment within religious organizations. Legal experts noted the court’s explicit recognition of retaliatory transfers as a form of harm, marking an important precedent in whistleblower protection and workplace harassment cases.
While the monk’s criminal case remains under appeal, the civil court’s compensation decision stands as a milestone for victims seeking recognition and restitution. The woman’s decision to come forward despite institutional resistance has been acknowledged as a courageous act within a context where victims often face social stigma and professional consequences.
The case continues to resonate within South Korea’s Buddhist community and the broader public, prompting ongoing discussions about the responsibilities of religious orders in preventing and addressing sexual misconduct.
See more
Court orders compensation for years of sexual harassment, unfair HR move following disclosure (The Korea Herald)
Whistleblower wins compensation in #MeToo case against senior Buddhist monk in Seoul (Asia News Network)
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