Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun: "I'm Not a Superhero... No Obligation to Comply with Demands to Speak Up"

"Living While Doing What I Can"

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun (47, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 33), who suffered from panic disorder after the death of the late Park Won-soon, former mayor of Seoul, said, "I am neither a superhero nor a fighter, nor a politician or a person in power."

On the 28th, Seo posted on her Facebook, "I have started going back to work. It was a confusing time as I realized that my condition, which I thought had greatly improved, was not so," she said.

She said, "I had to pull myself together, so I said everything I could and then closed Facebook," adding, "Nevertheless, the overwhelming demands for interviews and baseless slanders from those who do not understand even after I spoke made me realize that the world is still hell."

She continued, "Even though I would never side with the perpetrator if the abuse were proven true, I had already done what I could within my duties and personally," and pointed out, "Before the facts were confirmed, those who usually had no interest in women's rights forced me, a public official and prosecutor, to take sides with obvious political intentions, but I had neither the intention nor the obligation to comply."

Prosecutor Seo said, "What do the mockery and insults from those who clearly show their intention to torment the victim who has already spoken out about women's rights and victim protection until death mean?" She emphasized, "As a public official and prosecutor, there are laws I must uphold. Although I feel suffocated thinking that such things will not end and will continue as long as I live, I will live by abiding by the laws I must protect and doing what I can within my capacity."

She added, "I sincerely hope that after this chaos passes, we will have taken a step toward a better world."

Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 13th, Prosecutor Seo wrote about the sexual harassment accusation against the late Mayor Park, "I am sorry, but I am still struggling to recover from the panic disorder that overwhelmed me, so it is difficult to say a word," and "I also had a significant personal connection with the deceased, who lived as a human rights lawyer. Like everyone grieving, it was hard to endure with just personal shock and a kind of resentment."

She continued, "However, messages poured in without time to grieve personally. On one side, people said let's go to the condolence together; on the other, they said let's meet the victim together. Some said you must take responsibility because someone died due to your MeToo; others said you must take responsibility because your MeToo gave the victim courage," adding, "I could not say a word. Even breathing was difficult."

She said, "The things I have to handle, not being a politician or a state agency, always exceeded expectations," and "Putting aside all the insults, ongoing slanders, and threats, I still lacked the time and mental capacity to properly respond even to my own ongoing lawsuit, and most of the personal messages asking me to help with my grievances were beyond my ability."

She added, "I am not trying to say I am struggling or blame anyone. Everyone has different experiences and perceptions. I respect each opinion except for extreme polarized hatred. I know everyone is going through a terrible time," and concluded, "I think this is my burden to bear. I will stay away from Facebook where I cannot say a word. Truly, the world is terrible."

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