2 days ago
Chef at popular Gangnam restaurant accused of raping employee
A chef at a well-known Japanese restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam district is under police investigation on suspicion of raping a female employee, local media reported Friday.
According to broadcaster MBC, the chef is accused of sexually assaulting the employee, who was intoxicated at the time, on May 7. Security camera footage shows the woman staggering and collapsing on the street. The chef is then seen holding her by the hand and leading her away.
The woman later told police the chef had expressed romantic interest in her since her job interview. She said she has no recollection of how she ended up in a hotel room, but believes she was sexually assaulted. She also claimed the abuse began just one week after she started working at the restaurant.
'When I was cleaning the bathroom, someone silently came and locked the door. It started again. Every day,' she told the reporter at MBC.
She reported the incident to police on May 24. The Gangnam Police Station obtained hotel security footage and summoned the chef on charges of quasi-rape, a charge in Korean law equivalent to rape that involves a victim who is incapacitated or unable to resist.
During the investigation, additional allegations emerged that the chef routinely hurled verbal abuse and physically assaulted staff members. Audio recordings provided by former employees captured the chef yelling, 'How many times do I have to tell you? Do you want to be hit? Are you not concentrating? Concentrate!' followed by sounds suggesting physical violence.
One former staff member claimed the chef threatened retaliation if anyone reported him to authorities.
'He said if we go to the police, he would make sure we could never work in the industry again, using his four lawyers,' the former employee told MBC.
The chef has denied the rape allegation but has not responded to the abuse claims, according to reports.
