"‘Park Won-soon Sexual Harassment Allegations’ Human Rights Commission Must Conduct Ex Officio Investigation"…Women’s Groups Request Investigation

Representatives from women's organizations such as the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center and Korea Women's Hotline held a joint action on the 28th in front of Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, calling for a National Human Rights Commission investigation into the sexual violence case involving the power of the Seoul mayor. They marched from City Hall to the Human Rights Commission and held a press conference in front of the commission urging an investigation. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Women's organizations supporting former secretary A, who accused former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of sexual harassment, have demanded that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) conduct an ex officio investigation.

On the morning of the 28th, eight women's organizations including the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, Korea Women's Hotline, Korean Women Workers Association, and Korean Women's Minwoo Association urged the NHRCK to launch an ex officio investigation related to the sexual harassment allegations against former Mayor Park, stating, "In the 20 days since the allegations surfaced on the 8th of this month, there has been no respect shown to the living victim, while respect was demanded for the deceased perpetrator. The inappropriate five-day funeral for the Seoul Mayor reaffirmed the abuse of power." They added, "This case must begin with fact-finding by the Human Rights Commission and conclude with the creation of a safe working environment where women can work without disadvantage."

Through the "Request for the National Human Rights Commission to Launch an Ex Officio Investigation into the Sexual Violence Case by the Seoul Mayor," they demanded eight items from the Commission. These include ▲ identifying and improving gender-discriminatory elements in the hiring criteria for secretaries to heads of institutions in Seoul City and public organizations ▲ confirming the continuous sexual harassment and sexual misconduct by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon against his official secretary and taking appropriate measures for victim relief ▲ investigating the circumstances under which the victim's request for personnel transfer was ignored, holding those responsible accountable, and implementing measures to prevent recurrence.

About 100 activists and protest participants affiliated with these organizations marched from City Hall to the Human Rights Commission at 10 a.m. that day and held a press conference in front of the Commission demanding an ex officio investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against the late former Mayor Park. Participants gathered at the plaza in front of City Hall wearing purple clothes symbolizing women's rights or carrying purple umbrellas. They held placards with slogans such as "The absence of prosecution rights does not erase the perpetrator's guilt" and "Guarantee the right of female workers to work safely."

They stated, "Voices of solidarity with the victim regarding sexual violence by the Seoul Mayor's abuse of power are turning into a wave of solidarity demanding organizational and cultural change," and appealed, "Please join the citizens' support and encouragement toward a gender-equal society, a society where women's rights are realized, and a society where victims can return to their daily lives and workplaces."

Attorney Kim Jae-ryeon said, "The National Human Rights Commission has a procedure for victims to file complaints, and regardless of whether a victim files a complaint, there is a provision allowing the Commission to conduct an ex officio investigation if there is a human rights violation related to gender discrimination," adding, "The reason for requesting an ex officio investigation (rather than a complaint-based one) is that the Commission can actively investigate matters beyond the victim's claims and recommend institutional improvements."

Initially, victim support organizations held a press conference on the 22nd and announced their intention to file a complaint requesting the NHRCK to investigate the sexual harassment allegations against former Mayor Park within this week. However, judging that there were multiple problematic points, they changed their policy to request an ex officio investigation to point out structural issues as well. An ex officio investigation by the NHRCK is a measure where the Commission initiates an investigation on its own authority into cases involving serious harm. It has the same effect as a complaint investigation but may have a broader scope depending on the Commission's judgment.

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