BIFF apologizes for oversight on workplace sexual harassment report

An employee walks by the Busan International Film Festival lobby at the festival offices at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District, eastern Busan, on June 2. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) apologized Thursday for mishandling the workplace sexual harassment case brought against former festival director Huh Moon-yung.

In a statement issued Thursday, BIFF said, "We bow our heads and sincerely apologize for the incident of sexual harassment and violence that occurred in the workplace," referring to the case reported by a BIFF employee to the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Film.

The employee accused Huh of using inappropriate and sexually explicit language.

BIFF also apologized for describing the case as an individual problem in its press release on May 31.

"There was an announcement where we did not fully consider the victim's position and did not take prompt action," Thursday's statement read.

It said it will "faithfully" conduct an internal investigation "according to the recommended procedure from the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Film and prepare institutional devices to prevent such a case from happening again."
BIFF also apologized for accepting Huh's resignation on June 2 without consideration of the sexual harassment accusation, saying that Huh's resignation was accepted not because BIFF did not respect the wishes of the victim but because the resignation had already started being processed before the report of the case.

However, BIFF said it would be difficult to withdraw the accepted resignation.

BIFF promised in the statement Thursday that the case in question will be thoroughly investigated and that a press release and apology will be issued once the investigation is over.

Huh had offered his resignation on May 11 after the appointment of managing director Cho Jong-kook, and after this announcement, a report was filed to the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Film against Huh that he had been sexually abusive and violent toward a BIFF employee.

Huh had denied the accusations and said that he was resigning due to "considerable damage to the festival" that would occur with the investigation of the case.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]