About half of office workers in Korea are still experiencing harassment in the workplace even after related laws were enacted last year, a survey conducted by a local civic group showed Wednesday.

According to the report by civic group Gabjil199, which surveyed 1,000 office workers here, around 45.5 percent of office workers answered that they are still experiencing workplace harassment.

Insults or defamation were the most frequent forms of harassment in the workplace, accounting for 29.6 percent. Around 26.6 percent of office workers said they suffered from unreasonable work orders from their supervisors, while 26.2 percent of the respondents complained of receiving requests that are unrelated to their tasks.

More than 60 percent of respondents said they just try to tolerate or ignore harassment. Around 50 percent of office workers said they make individual complaints or consult with their friends. Three out of 10 office workers answered that they had quit their jobs.

Only 3 percent of respondents said they would report to their companies or the state-led regional labor office and take legal proceedings.

Those who said they feel workplace harassment take place less often after the workplace anti-bullying law reached 53.5 percent, while the opposite case was at 46.5 percent.

Some 53 percent of female respondents, however, answered that workplace harassment remains more or less the same after the law.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)