Some much-needed changes are set to take place in workplaces across South Korea.
"Gapjil",... which refers to harassment and power abuse by superiors over their subordinates,... will now be punishable by law.
A new law designed to prevent workplace bullying takes effect today,... giving the victims legal protection from this kind of behavior,... which has unfortunately become more commonplace in South Korea in recent years.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
Constant messages from your boss after clocking out for the day.
Being forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol because you were late to a company dinner.
Being told to make coffee for everyone because you're a female worker.
All these forms of harassment that were once overlooked, even condoned in South Korea,... are now punishable under a new workplace anti-bullying law, which took effect Tuesday, after a six-month grace period.
While physical and sexual assault within the workplace are already handled in the legal domain in South Korea,... harassment has mostly been overlooked until now.
The new law stipulates that workplace bullying is defined as incurring physical or mental suffering or worsening the working environment when employers or workers use their status or power and act beyond the proper scope of work.

This law covers all workers. So even when an employee harasses another employee, the law protects the victim regardless.

If workplace bullying is reported,... employers are required to immediately investigate it and take proper actions to help the victim or victims.
If retaliatory measures are taken against the victims who reported the harassment, employers could face up to three years behind bars and a fine of up to 25-thousand U.S. dollars.
However, the law does not stipulate the appropriate punishment for the perpetrator,... which legal analysts say is the law's weak point.
A separate law also took effect on Tuesday.
It stipulates that stress stemming from workplace bullying is considered an industrial disaster and allows for compensation.
The new anti-bully law is expected to root out so-called "gapjil" in the workplace in South Korea,
"Gapjil" a recently coined word refers to abusive acts by people in positions of power or those under their influence.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.