O Seong-gyu, Former Seoul City Secretary, "Victim Did Not Want Transfer, So Was Left" (Comprehensive)

Former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's ex-secretary Oh Seong-gyu, who was accused of aiding sexual harassment, is answering reporters' questions as he leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after an investigation on the afternoon of the 17th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Kwan-joo] Oh Seong-gyu, former Chief of Staff to the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was accused of aiding and abetting sexual harassment, appeared at the police station on the 17th.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency summoned Oh in the morning as a suspect in the charge of aiding and abetting sexual harassment by abuse of authority in the course of duty and questioned him. Earlier, on the 13th, the police had also summoned Kim Joo-myung, Director of the Seoul Lifelong Education Promotion Institute (former Chief of Staff to the Seoul Mayor), for investigation on the same charge.

The police reportedly focused on confirming whether Oh, while serving as Chief of Staff, had ever heard complaints from a former secretary who was a victim of Mayor Park’s sexual harassment.

After appearing at the police station, Oh told reporters, "At the end of 2018, when I was Chief of Staff, the victim had worked in the secretariat for a long time, so I planned a transfer first," adding, "I was informed that she did not want the transfer, so she was allowed to stay." He further stated, "Anyone who wanted a transfer was transferred without exception, whether after six months or a year."

This stance contradicts the victim’s side claim that the victim requested a transfer to another department.

When asked if there was any documentation regarding the victim’s refusal of the transfer, Oh replied, "If she wanted it, there would be documents showing that. If she didn’t want it, how could there be such documents? There is a personnel secretary in charge. I understand that the personnel secretary has testified to the police about this matter."

He also said, "It does not logically connect that I aided and abetted someone before the substantive truth of the accusation is established," adding, "I believe the claim of aiding and abetting itself is a political slander."

Oh, who comes from a civic group background, served as Chief of Staff to the Seoul Mayor from 2018 until this year. The YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' has filed complaints with the police against current and former deputy mayors and chiefs of staff, including Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop (First Deputy Mayor for Administration).

On the 13th of last month, at the Korea Women's Hotline Education Center in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, Kim Jae-ryeon, the lead attorney of the law firm On-Sesang, is revealing a secret chat room invitation message allegedly sent by Mayor Park Won-soon to the accuser during the press conference regarding the powerful sexual harassment case by the Seoul mayor.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, Oh, through a statement previously sent to the media, claimed, "I have never received any complaints of harm related to this case or requests for personnel transfers from the accuser, nor have I received such reports from any third parties. Among the 20 secretariat staff members who were recently questioned by the police as witnesses after being named as aides in the sexual harassment charge by the accuser’s side, none have reported receiving such complaints."

He added, "I strongly suspect that the reason the accusers are making such unreasonable claims is that they are maliciously exploiting the fact that there is no one to dispute the accuser’s assertions," emphasizing, "Claims that Seoul city officials aided and abetted or that there was an organizational cover-up are also baseless political slanders and attacks."

Oh further stated, "Forcing silence with the totalitarian logic that not knowing and remaining silent is also secondary harm is character assassination against those who worked with Mayor Park in city administration and tramples on the honor of Seoul City."

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