An arrest warrant has been sought for a professor at the country’s top-ranked university on charges of sexually harassing several female students, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Seoul Northern Prosecutors’ Office recently opened an investigation into the mathematics professor at Seoul National University (SNU) over allegations that he groped a 20-something intern in July.
The female intern was hired from outside the university to help the professor, whose identity was withheld, prepare for an international math conference held in the summer in Seoul, prosecutors said.
News of the high-profile incident prompted other SNU students to make similar claims.
The students have claimed they were harassed by the professor and have formed a coalition, “Victim X”, to call on SNU to fire the educator.
Prosecutors said they summoned the alleged victims for questioning and decided to file a charge of habitual molestation against the professor, rather than the less serious charge of sexual harassment they had initially considered.
The arrest warrant was requested as allegations involved more than one victim and the professor was considered a flight risk, they added.
The Seoul Southern District Court is scheduled to review the legality of his arrest on Wednesday with the professor in attendance.
SNU, meanwhile, said it is launching its own investigation into the case and vowed to take “serious action” pending the outcome.
The school, however, did not say whether it will fire the professor, adding another instructor will cover for him for the time being. (Yonhap)
