Sexual harassment report over a '3-second stare' sparks debate

(123rf)

Controversy has erupted online after a store owner was reported to police for staring at a female customer's sheer clothing.

Recent posts on various online communities and social media platforms have shared an article with the headline: "Store owner reported to police for looking at customer's underwear."

The owner explained the customer was wearing a white dress shirt that made the clear outline of her underwear visible.

He admitted to looking at her for about three seconds unintentionally, but the customer reported the incident to police as sexual harassment and he tried apologizing to the customer to no avail.

The episode has sparked heated discussion among online commenters. Some criticized the owner, suggesting even a brief glance could be uncomfortable for the customer, saying, "If you claim it was only three seconds, it probably felt longer to her. She must have felt ashamed."

Conversely, some individuals came to the defense of the store owner. They questioned the fairness of punishing someone solely for looking, asking, "How can you prove intent just by a look?" They contend that Korea seems to be overly sensitive to potential sexual crimes at the moment.

By Cho Min-jeong(blacknib@heraldcorp.com)