Future United Party: "If the Oh Geodon Incident Had Occurred Before the General Election, It Would Have Affected the Election... Including Prosecutorial Investigation, Truth-Finding" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party criticized Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, who resigned on the 23rd due to a sexual harassment incident, saying that he coordinated the timing of his resignation to be after the general election, calling it "an act of mocking and deceiving the citizens of Busan and the public." They plan to investigate the truth, including whether there was any attempt to persuade the victim, through a prosecution investigation. However, they showed caution regarding potential 'secondary damage' that could occur during the investigation process.

Kim Seong-won, spokesperson for the United Future Party, said in a briefing at the National Assembly communication office on the 23rd, "It must be clearly revealed whether the resignation after the general election was a personal decision or a collusion with higher-ups."

On the same day, Mayor Oh held a press conference at the Busan City Hall briefing room and said, "During a brief five-minute meeting with one person, I made unnecessary physical contact. I realized that this could be recognized as forced sexual harassment, which should never be done," and abruptly resigned.

Spokesperson Kim said, "How much must he have looked down on the citizens of Busan to do that while holding such an important position?" When asked if this incident would have affected the election if it had occurred before the general election, he answered, "Yes."

He added, "We are receiving detailed reports suggesting that the victim was persuaded. This is not a matter that ends simply with Mayor Oh's resignation; the truth must be uncovered. A prosecution investigation will naturally follow."

However, if the victim is revealed during the investigation process, there is also the possibility of the victim suffering secondary damage. Spokesperson Kim seemed mindful of this, saying, "The first priority is to prevent secondary damage, and we need to see if political tactics were involved to cover up this incident. Politicizing Me Too cases or sexual harassment incidents can cause secondary damage."

Earlier, in a statement on the same day, Spokesperson Kim said, "Mayor Oh's actions after the sexual harassment go beyond shamelessness to being horrifying. Last month, he called a female employee of the city hall to his office, made physical contact, then tried to persuade her by involving people around her, and even proposed to set his resignation timing after the general election," he pointed out.

Spokesperson Kim said, "Due to the misconduct and illegality of former Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo and Mayor Oh, the damage has been borne entirely by the citizens of Busan and the public. This is not something that ends with a humble apology or can be dismissed as an individual's deviation. Legal responsibility is a given, and the Democratic Party of Korea must deeply apologize and present measures to prevent recurrence."

He added, "Sexual-related issues involving figures from the Democratic Party of Korea are not limited to this case. There are the Me Too case of former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, sexual harassment allegations against former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju, and recently, even Kim Nam-guk, a newly elected member who participated in a podcast filled with misogyny and abusive language," and said, "Mayor Oh also had another Me Too allegation raised just six months ago. Although Mayor Oh claimed it was 'fake news that even a cow would laugh at,' additional investigation is needed."

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