Current and Former Seoul City Officials Likely to Be Investigated One After Another

Regarding the Late Former Mayor Park's Sexual Harassment Allegations, Chief Secretary and Others Prioritized for Investigation
Investigation of Case Handlers Unavoidable... Civic Groups Urge Judicial Authorities to Probe

The 6th floor of Seoul City Hall, where the mayor's office, secretariat, and political appointee offices are located, is quiet on the 17th. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Regarding the allegations that Seoul city officials were aware of the sexual harassment accusations against the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon but either neglected or tacitly approved them, it appears that key current and former executives, including Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop, will be consecutively investigated. In particular, the victim’s legal representatives and civic groups are urging for an investigation by judicial authorities rather than an internal Seoul city inquiry.

If the police proceed with an investigation, the heads of the Secretariat who led the office during the victim’s tenure will be primary subjects of inquiry. Investigations into former Secretariat chiefs such as Acting Mayor Seo (March 2015?July 2016), Heo Young (July 2016?March 2017), Kim Joo-myeong (March 2017?July 2018), Oh Seong-gyu (July 2018?April 2020), and Go Han-seok (April 2020?July 10) seem inevitable. All of them maintain the position that they were unaware of the past sexual harassment incidents.

The victim’s side has claimed through two press conferences that "the Mayor’s office and Secretariat had a work environment prone to sexual violence such as sexual harassment and assault due to routine gender discrimination," and has requested the police to preserve evidence and secure investigation materials related to the Secretariat and the sixth-floor offices of City Hall.

Previously, the police investigated Im Soon-young, Seoul City’s Gender Special Advisor, former Secretariat chief Go Han-seok, and some Secretariat staff members, but these inquiries focused on the late former Mayor Park’s whereabouts and the leak of the accusation. However, if concrete circumstances or evidence such as recordings related to the allegations of aiding sexual harassment are presented, the investigation could swiftly shift to charges of aiding sexual harassment.

The ‘political line’ staff who assisted the late former Mayor Park and were processed for mandatory retirement are also primary investigation targets. The investigation may expand to include not only recent staff such as Planning Advisor Jo Kyung-min and Communication Strategy Director Jang Hoon but also former aides who served during the victim’s employment period.

If the sexual harassment victim reported the abuse through Seoul City’s internal sexual harassment and sexual violence grievance counseling channels, those responsible for handling the case?including the Sexual Harassment Grievance Counselor (Women’s Rights Officer), Human Rights Officer, Citizen Human Rights Protection Officer, and the Director of the Women and Family Policy Office?may find it difficult to avoid accountability for negligence. Since the city had a ‘Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Incident Handling Manual’ and designated departments, investigative authorities need to verify whether procedures were properly followed and whether the head of the institution concealed or was pressured to conceal related matters.

However, Seoul City has consistently stated that "no official sexual harassment complaints or reports of victimization have been received." Controversy arose when it was revealed that Song Da-young, Director of the Women and Family Policy Office, attempted to call the victim’s legal representatives on the day of the late former Mayor Park’s funeral on the 13th to request postponement of a press conference.

Meanwhile, although the search warrant application for Seoul City Hall and other locations was dismissed by the court on the 22nd, the police stated they "will consider reapplying for the warrant after supplementary investigations." They intend to thoroughly examine whether the alleged neglect and tacit approval by the city violate current laws and whether compulsory investigation is possible.

Earlier, the Seoul City Government Employees’ Union also stated, "Even if uncovering the substantive truth is the responsibility of investigative and judicial authorities, the mistakes of those who closely assisted the mayor must also be clarified."

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