Theater Director Lee Yoon Taek Accused Again Of Sexual Harassment And Assault

On November 5, the Seoul Central District Court held another trial for charges against Lee Yoon Taek.

The former arts director of a theater company, Lee Yoon Taek has already been accused and convicted of severe sexual harassment towards female members of his theater company and sexually assaulting actresses. Recently, another victim has come forward to lay charges against him.

Lee Yoon Taek denied the new charges. His lawyer said, “He acknowledges that the behavior occurred, but it was done with mutual consent.” The lawyer then claimed that Lee Yoon Taek had not been in the kind of employment relationship with the victim where he could have used his position against her.

Lee Yoon Taek was the founder of his theater as well as its operative director and had the absolute authority to hire and fire actors. The new charge, brought by Miryang Theater Village employee “A,” is that he pressured her into sexual activity using his position in March 2014.

Prior to this, Lee Yoon Taek was repeatedly charged with aggressive sexual violence toward 17 theater employees between 1999 and 2016. The victims described behavior such as forcing them to give him massages and touch him sexually, as well as groping actresses under the excuse of giving them acting guidance.

In September, Lee Yoon Taek was sentenced to 6 years of prison, 80 hours of treatment for sexually violent offenders, and a 10-year restriction on his employment. Lee Yoon Taek’s lawyers are in the middle of appealing the ruling.

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