Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don Abruptly Resigns ... Admits to 'Unnecessary Physical Contact' Sexual Harassment (Update)

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don is announcing his resignation at a press conference held at Busan City Hall on the morning of the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don has abruptly resigned.

On the morning of the 23rd, Mayor Oh held a press conference at Busan City Hall and announced his official resignation from the mayoral position effective immediately. The reason for his resignation was a recent incident involving the sexual harassment of a female public official.

Mayor Oh stated, "The responsibility for one person is too great, so I had no choice but to make this decision," and added, "During a brief meeting of about five minutes, I realized that unnecessary physical contact that should not have occurred could be recognized as sexual harassment. Regardless of the severity, no words or actions can be forgiven."

He continued, "Knowing this mistake, I believe it is not right to continue serving as mayor," and said, "I take responsibility for making it impossible to operate normal city administration during this difficult time and seek forgiveness as I step down."

While reading his resignation statement, Mayor Oh repeatedly expressed his apology to the victim and tearfully said, "I will live the rest of my life with a repentant heart. I ask the citizens to protect the victim so that no further harm comes to her."

Following Mayor Oh's resignation, Deputy Mayor Byun Sung-wan will act as the interim head of Busan's overall administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.