A South Korean court will hear allegations that one of the country's diplomats sexually assaulted a man at its embassy in Wellington.
Prosecutors there have indicted former deputy ambassador to New Zealand, Kim Hongkon, on charges of forcible indecent assault.
The hearing on Friday comes six years after the alleged offending against a former employee. The alleged victim, who spoke to 1News anonymously, said he was pursuing justice in South Korea after efforts in New Zealand stalled.
He claimed that Kim inappropriately touched him on three separate occasions at the embassy in 2017.
Speaking to 1News, the man said the alleged incident still affected him years on.
"I live with the symptoms of PTSD, day in, day out.
"Some days are not so bad, but they are few and far between."
In 2020, New Zealand police charged Kim with indecent assault but, by that time, he had left the country. The charges are still active, so Kim could be arrested if he returns.
However, at the time, police said the higher threshold to initiate extradition proceedings had not been met. New Zealand officials also applied to South Korea for a diplomatic immunity waiver to investigate inside the embassy in Wellington.
But the alleged victim said he eventually gave up seeking help from authorities here.
"I would never have come forward to the New Zealand Police, knowing the diplomatic complexities," he said.
"I had no choice if I wanted justice, but to approach the Korean police directly myself."
The case also drew attention from former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who raised it with her then-South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in.
The Korean Embassy in Wellington would not respond to 1News' requests for comment, or to speak directly to Kim — who faces jail if found guilty.
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