<anchor>
You may remember a controversial new village in Incheon a
few years ago when he told employees to boil dog meat. However, the controversy surrounding the newly inaugurated chairman continues. Even if a female employee in her 20s reported that she was the victim of sexual harassment by the director, only light disciplinary action was issued, and the competent government office did not take active action.

First, reporter Lee Taekwon reports.

<Reporter>
Ms. A, a female employee in her 20s who worked at a branch of Saemaul Vault in
West Incheon, received an embarrassing comment from the chairman of the board of directors who went on a tour of the branch in

July last year.

[Mr. A/West Incheon Sae Village Vault employee: The director looked at me and said, 'It's all young now' and looked at me like this...]

To Mr. A, who was speechless, the director continued with similar remarks.

[Mr. A/West Incheon Sae Village Vault employee: 'You know what I mean by young?' Well, (the body) has developed, it's big, it's just this feeling...]

Ms. A filed a complaint claiming that she suffered from sexual harassment and shouting at the director's personnel.

In May last year, based on eyewitness accounts of other employees, the Saemaul Treasury Central Association determined that sexual harassment remarks constituted workplace harassment.

However, after six months, the disposition handed down to the chairman was a "reprimand," which is a light disciplinary measure.

Mr. A also filed a complaint with the Labor Bureau, but the Labor Bureau only issued one notice of improvement guidance and closed the case without a separate investigation on the grounds of disposition at the central committee level.

In November last year, the victim complained to the Labor Bureau again that "the perpetrator ignored his request to quarantine and continued to come back, causing anxiety and psychological distress," but this was also not accepted.

[Mr. A/West Incheon Saemaul Vault employee: It's not confidential, the disciplinary process ends with a reprimand, and I have to continue to work with the director.]

The chairman denied to SBS reporters that he had not made the statement in question, contrary to the central meeting's fact-checking and disposition.

[Chairman of the Board of Directors of the West Incheon Saemaul Vault: Fish oil looks quite mature and righteous. It looks so good. I said it as a compliment. I didn't even say that it was young...]

The new village vault was controversial in 2017 because the chairman of the board made his employees boil dog meat, and he was replaced in 2020.

(Video Interview: Nam Sung Kim, Video Editor: Lee Joon-young, VJ: Lee Sang-min)

---

<Anchor>
There is more controversy regarding the chairman of the board of directors of
the Saemaul Vault. Unlike the employment contract, employees were also ordered to clean stores and toilets, but the competent labor office instructed them to improve it, but nothing has changed.

Reporter Sohn Ki-joon reports.

<Reporter>

A female employee is wiping a urinal in the men's bathroom.

Another employee gathers the garbage in the store.

Employees say they took on cleaning duties that weren't on their employment contracts after they took over as chairman in November 2020.

A pregnant female employee was also mobilized.

[Ms. B/Seo-Incheon Saemaul Vault employee: Originally, I had severe (morning sickness) while cleaning. Honestly, I don't want to do it either....]

When Ms. B, an impatient pregnant woman, reported it, the Labor Bureau said on the 15th of last month that the employees' complaints were confirmed and instructed them to seek a quick solution.

However, as a result of the SBS report, until yesterday, staff were still cleaning at four of the six main branches and branches.

CCTV footage shows one employee mopping the floor with a sack, while at another point, an employee walks around the store and empties trash cans.

They are also seen sucking mops inside the bathroom for cleaning.

The chairman of the board explained that the cleaning of employees had happened even before he took office, adding, "Last year, we had already made a plan for the head office and informed us that we would use the service from next year."

The reaction of the staff is chilly.

[Mr. B/Seo Incheon Saemaul Vault employee: I don't know where you made that document and submitted it, but from our point of view, it was made, but we are still cleaning it...]

In response to the news that the cleanup was continuing, the Labor Agency said, "We will take care to ensure that the administrative guidance is applied as soon as possible."

(Video Interview: Nam Sung Kim, Video Editor: Lee So-young, CG: Lee Cheon-woong, VJ: Lee Joon-young)

---

<Anchor>
Reporter Son Ki-joon who covered
this issue is listed.

Q. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saemaul Vault, who is it?

[Reporter Sohn: The chairman of the local Saemaul Vault is for a four-year term, and he oversees the management of the local Saemaul Treasury. However, since most of the members of the treasury elect the chairman of the board, once elected, they often remain in power for more than 10 years. In particular, the director has the personnel authority of the entire vault staff, so it is difficult for the employees to disobey the instructions, and the internal voice is that he is the king of the small kingdom. There is a position called 'internal control officer' that acts as an auditor for each vault. The personnel authority is also the de facto chairman of the boardIt is a structure that cannot act as a check.]

Q. In the past, there have been controversies... What is the action of the Labor Department?

[Reporter Sohn: I asked labor experts about what happened in this vault, and they agreed that the Labor Bureau should take more active action. Let's listen for a moment.]

[Kim Hyun-geun/Roh Musa: From the true point of view, there is nothing more that can be done, because the respondent (chairman of the board) is the highest management officer in the workplace....] [Reporter Sohn Ki-joon: The Saemaul Vault in Seo Incheon was controversial in the past when it asked employees to boil dog meat for serving delegates, and seven employees who raised the issue at the time were fired and barely reinstated. The Labor Agency's case handling guidelines clearly state that unreasonable dispositions can be investigated directly, so it is pointed out that a minimum on-site investigation is necessary.]



(Video editing by Lee Sang-min)