100 Days Since Park Won-soon's Death... No Evidence, Only Secondary Harm Remains

Police and Human Rights Commission Stalled in Fact-Finding on Sexual Harassment Allegations Due to Perpetrator's Absence
Investigation Virtually Halted Following Family's Appeal and Forensic Execution Suspension Request
"Some Suicides Are Harm" Secondary Victimization Continues... "Suffering from Anxiety and Threats"

On the morning of the 15th, participants hold placards at the "Joint Action Launch Press Conference on the Seoul Mayor's Power Sexual Violence Case" held in front of the Seoul Library.

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong and Intern Suhwan Kim] It has been 100 days since the death of the late Park Won-soon, former mayor of Seoul. His extreme choice shocked our society and simultaneously posed a heavy challenge. As a human rights lawyer who defended sexual harassment cases and a prominent presidential candidate, he took his own life just one day after allegations surfaced. Since then, we have examined how far our society has come in uncovering the truth of the sexual harassment case and preventing secondary harm, as well as the challenges it has faced.

◆ Investigation handed over to police and National Human Rights Commission remains 'stalled' = Investigations and inquiries surrounding the late Mayor Park have effectively halted amid the situation of the 'absence of the perpetrator.' The late Mayor Park was found dead on July 9 in a mountain area in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Although his former secretary A filed a sexual harassment complaint against him, the prosecution rights expired, and the police investigation faced difficulties from the start. The police are approaching the substance of the case through investigations into the circumstances and causes of the death, classified as an unnatural death case, and inquiries into allegations of sexual harassment collusion and tacit approval by Seoul city officials. However, 100 days later, considering the intense public attention, the investigation to uncover the truth has made almost no progress.

On July 24, the late Mayor Park’s bereaved family filed a petition for a provisional injunction and suspension of the forensic procedure on his work mobile phone, which is among the belongings, resulting in the investigation being effectively halted. The police have stated that they need a decision on the petition before they can reapply for a search and seizure and continue the investigation.

The police are also investigating allegations of collusion in sexual harassment by Seoul city employees, but this area is also challenging. Four suspects, including former Seoul City Secretary-General Kim Joo-myung, who were accused of collusion in sexual harassment, and about 20 witnesses have been questioned by the police. However, they continue to claim ignorance of the sexual harassment.

The National Human Rights Commission’s ex officio investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against the late Mayor Park is ongoing, aiming to announce results within the year. The commission conducted an on-site investigation at Seoul City Hall on the 24th of last month, but it is known that current and former key Seoul city officials still refuse to cooperate with the commission’s inquiry. Amid the stalled investigation, the late Mayor Park has effectively become a 'taboo word' in pro-government communities and others.

◆ "Some suicides are harm"… Questions raised by power-based sexual violence = While the truth-finding has not progressed, secondary harm against the victim remains active. After the late Mayor Park’s extreme choice, a sentence from novelist Jeong Sera’s work "From the Gaze" circulated: "Some suicides were harm. The ultimate form of harm." The victim’s side held a press conference on the 15th, describing the past 100 days as "an unbearably long and painful time." It is known that the victim has been relocating due to anxiety and threats related to personal information disclosure. A revealed, "In the unceasing secondary harm, I suffer from despair that I may never live a normal life again, and especially the fact that the source of this harm is 'people who were close' has caused me to shudder deeply and suffer from feverish illness."

Regarding the social atmosphere, Kim Hye-jung, deputy director of the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, said, "There have been several cases where perpetrators took extreme measures after #MeToo. Due to the perpetrator’s death, people have lost jobs and suffered damages, and they then shift responsibility onto the sexual assault victims, placing the victims in even more difficult and painful situations." Especially in cases of 'power-based sexual crimes' like the late Mayor Park’s, the death of the 'powerful person' greatly affects many, which can lead to more active secondary harm.

Experts point out that public figures such as politicians should show responsible attitudes toward their mistakes and express regret regarding the late Mayor Park’s case. Professor Kwak Geum-joo of Seoul National University’s Department of Psychology said, "Politicians or power holders with public images experience extreme fear and anxiety about their image being destroyed after sexual crime disclosures, which leads them to take extreme measures," but added, "Considering their public responsibility as social leaders, it is hard to see this as responsible behavior."

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