Seoul City Council Audit Starts Today... Expected Controversy Over Late Former Mayor Park's Sexual Harassment and Cover-up Allegations

On the 12th, one day before the funeral of the late Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, visitors continued to pay their respects at the Seoul City Hall citizen memorial altar. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Seoul City will begin at 10 a.m. on the 15th. Seo Jeong-hyeop, acting mayor of Seoul, will appear as the representative of the institution in place of the late former Mayor Park Won-soon, who led Seoul's administration for nine years. However, ruling and opposition party members of the committee are expected to focus their questions on allegations of sexual harassment related to Mayor Park's funeral.

Twenty-two ruling and opposition lawmakers, including Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo, will attend the audit held at Seoul City Hall that day.

The lawmakers are expected to first scrutinize whether Seoul City's response before and after former Mayor Park's accusation and death in July was appropriate. In particular, the main point of inspection is the claim that a former secretary who accused Mayor Park requested a transfer to another department but was ignored by the aides. In this regard, questions may also focus on Acting Mayor Seo, who was serving as the chief secretary when the victim began working in the secretariat.

Additionally, the audit will focus on whether there were internal attempts within Seoul City to conceal the sexual harassment allegations against former Mayor Park, and whether Seoul City's sexual violence and harassment prevention manual has been functioning properly.

Questions are also expected regarding the appropriateness of holding former Mayor Park's funeral as a Seoul Special Mayor's Funeral and installing and operating a citizen memorial altar at Seoul Plaza during that period, as well as the bereaved family staying for over a month at the mayoral residence in Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu after his death. Seoul City banned rallies in downtown areas from February to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but after Mayor Park's death, a citizen memorial altar was set up in front of City Hall, which drew some criticism.

Other issues likely to be raised include subsidies paid to the Justice and Memory Foundation, which faced allegations of accounting fraud, and controversies over political bias at tbs Traffic Broadcasting, a city-affiliated institution.

In the upcoming audit by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee scheduled for next week, questions are expected about whether the plan to develop the Songhyeon-dong land owned by Korean Air into a park infringes on private property rights, and what real estate measures the city has to stabilize housing prices in Seoul.

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