From Ahn Hee-jung to Oh Keo-don... Democratic Party Faces Successive Sexual Misconduct Scandals

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don Abruptly Resigns "Apologizes for Unnecessary Physical Contact"
United Future Party "Democratic Party's True Colors Revealed"

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don held a press conference at Busan City Hall on the morning of the 23rd, announcing his intention to resign from his position as mayor before leaving the venue. Mayor Oh said, "I have a remorseful statement to make. During a recent five-minute meeting with a female public official, there was unnecessary physical contact," and added, "I bow my head and sincerely apologize." [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don admitted to sexually harassing a female employee on the 23rd and abruptly resigned. This is not the first sexual scandal involving a member of the Democratic Party. As a result, past sexual violence cases involving figures such as former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung and former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju have also come under renewed criticism, with the sexual violence scandal of former Mayor Oh spreading throughout the entire Democratic Party. The United Future Party strongly criticized, saying, "The true face of the Democratic Party is being revealed as it is." The Democratic Party announced that it would immediately begin disciplinary procedures against former Mayor Oh and plans to expel him.

Former Mayor Oh held a press conference at Busan City Hall at 11 a.m. that day and said, "During a short five-minute meeting with one person, I made unnecessary physical contact. I realized that this could be recognized as forced sexual assault, which should never be done." He continued, "Regardless of the severity, no words or actions can excuse this," and declared his resignation, saying, "Continuing to serve as mayor is not the right thing to do as the Mayor of Busan."

In response, the Democratic Party quickly moved to contain the situation by announcing plans to expel former Mayor Oh. Yoon Ho-jung, Secretary-General of the Democratic Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in the afternoon and said, "The Democratic Party has maintained a zero-tolerance policy regardless of rank or status for incidents related to sexual harassment and misconduct," and "Under this principle, we will immediately begin disciplinary procedures." He added, "We will devise institutional preventive measures such as internal education to strengthen the ethical awareness of elected officials belonging to the party to ensure that such incidents never recur."

Former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung Photo by Yonhap News

This is not the first time a Democratic Party-affiliated metropolitan government head has resigned due to sexual crime allegations. In 2018, Kim Ji-eun, the secretary to former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, appeared on JTBC's 'Newsroom' and revealed that she had been sexually assaulted four times and repeatedly harassed by former Governor Ahn. In response, former Governor Ahn said, "I will take responsibility," and stepped down from his position. He was indicted on charges including sexual assault using his authority at work and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison by the Supreme Court in September last year, leading to his incarceration.

There have also been cases where lawmakers declared resignation amid 'Me Too' allegations of sexual violence. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Min Byung-doo announced his resignation in March 2018 after allegations of sexually harassing a woman at a karaoke room surfaced but withdrew it after about two months. However, the Democratic Party excluded him from nomination, and he later ran as an independent candidate in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, but withdrew his candidacy just before the election.

Former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju also declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor in the 2018 local elections but withdrew after allegations of sexually harassing a university student surfaced. He denied the allegations as false and was tried on charges including defamation. He was acquitted in the first trial in October last year.

On January 28, Won Jong-geon, the second recruited talent of the Democratic Party of Korea who was accused in the Me Too controversy, is leaving the press conference room at the National Assembly's Jeongron-gwan in Yeouido, Seoul, after announcing his voluntary resignation from his recruited talent position. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Democratic Party's second recruitment for the general election, Won Jong-geon, also returned his recruitment status in February after a Me Too revelation from his ex-girlfriend. During the general election, candidate Kim Nam-guk, who ran in Ansan Danwon, Gyeonggi Province, was involved in controversy after it was revealed that he appeared on a podcast that frequently engaged in misogyny and sexual harassment.

Amid the ongoing sexual harassment scandals involving Democratic Party figures, the United Future Party has raised its voice in criticism. Kim Seong-won, spokesperson for the United Future Party, said in a statement on the 23rd, "Sexual issues involving Democratic Party figures are not limited to this case," and criticized, "From former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung's Me Too case and former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju's sexual harassment allegations to recently elected Kim Nam-guk's participation in a podcast filled with misogyny and abusive language, the true face of the Democratic Party, which claims to prioritize women's rights and protection, is being revealed as it is."

Lee Joo-hwan, chief spokesperson for the United Future Party's Busan branch, also issued a statement that day, questioning, "Is the Democratic Party, which claims to prioritize women's rights and protection, actually the Together Me Too Party?" He referred to the Me Too incidents involving Democratic Party figures and criticized again, saying, "These behaviors are a representative example of the Democratic Party's hypocrisy, which claims to prioritize women's rights improvement and protection."

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