Excessive 'Secondary Harm' to Park Won-soon Victim... Lawyer Kim Jae-ryeon "Criminal Complaint with Real Name Disclosure"

Disclosure of Victim Information
Imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 5 million KRW

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A handwritten letter written by the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s sexual violence victim to Park has been disclosed, sparking controversy over 'secondary victimization.' The victim’s side has warned of legal action if Park’s close aides reveal the victim’s real name during the process of posting this letter.

Kim Jae-ryeon, the legal representative of the victim of former Mayor Park’s sexual violence, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 24th, "We plan to file a criminal complaint against those who disclosed the victim’s real name," adding, "We will also discuss future response directions."

The current Sexual Violence Punishment Act stipulates that secrets related to the victim’s private life, such as name, age, and appearance, which can identify the victim, must not be disclosed or leaked. Violations can result in imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 5 million won.

Earlier, Professor Kim Min-woong of Kyung Hee University’s Future Civilization Institute posted on his Facebook the letter titled "Handwritten Letter from Mayor Park Won-soon’s Secretary," revealing the letter written by the victim to former Mayor Park. In the process, the victim’s real name was exposed. The letter, written between 2016 and 2018, contained content such as congratulating Mayor Park on his birthday and supporting his administrative activities. Former Seoul City Personnel Planning Secretary Min Kyung-guk also posted the victim’s handwritten letter on his Facebook.

When controversy arose over the real name exposure, Professor Kim explained in a post titled "The Case of Disclosing Mayor Park Won-soon’s Secretary’s Handwritten Letter," saying, "The exposure of the real name was an unintentional technical error during the process," and "The real name was immediately concealed upon posting." He added, "If this issue is raised to block discussion of the content itself, it should not be allowed," and "If an apology is requested, it can certainly be made."

Former Secretary Min took the position that there was no real name exposure. On his Facebook, he claimed, "The media reported as if I disclosed the complainant’s real name without basic verification, distorting the facts and damaging the essence." Professor Kim, who shared Min’s post titled "Public Materials of Secretary Min Kyung-guk," also stated, "Former Seoul City Personnel Planning Secretary Min Kyung-guk has never disclosed the real name of the woman claiming victimization," adding, "The momentary exposure scene was on my Facebook."

Meanwhile, the police completed forensic work on former Mayor Park’s mobile phone yesterday in the presence of representatives from the late mayor’s bereaved family and Seoul City. The mobile phone was found among the belongings discovered with Mayor Park’s body. The police reportedly limited this forensic examination to clarifying the circumstances of Mayor Park’s death, such as KakaoTalk and text messages exchanged shortly before his death, making it unlikely to investigate the sexual violence allegations.

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