Jeong Young-ae Hesitated to Answer 'Is Park Won-soon the Perpetrator?' Before Saying 'Yes' on the Third Attempt

Attending the Leisure Committee, Asked Three Times if Park Won-soon Is the Perpetrator, Responds "I Think So"
When Asked if Candidate Woo Sang-ho's Remarks Constitute Secondary Harm, He Says "It Is Right to Judge So"
Responds That the Government Has No Worthwhile Response to Professor Ramseyer's Paper

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] After being asked the same question three times, Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, responded that she judges the late Park Won-soon, former Mayor of Seoul, as the 'perpetrator.'

On the 18th, attending the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee, Minister Jeong repeatedly avoided answering the question from Jeon Ju-hye, a member of the People Power Party, about whether she recognizes Mayor Park Won-soon as the perpetrator of the sexual harassment case.

In response to Jeon’s question, "Who is the perpetrator?" Minister Jeong replied, "Based on the Human Rights Commission and previous investigation results, it can be presumed so, but it is not a situation where it can be explicitly stated." When asked a second time whether she recognizes him as the perpetrator, Minister Jeong trailed off, saying, "To specify in the absence of the person..."

When Jeon asked for the third time, "The role of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is to protect and support the victim, so who is the perpetrator?" Minister Jeong answered, "Personally, I think so." When Jeon pressed a fourth time, "Do you personally think it is the late Mayor Park Won-soon?" Minister Jeong replied, "Yes."

Regarding a question from Kim Mi-ae, a People Power Party lawmaker, about whether a social media post by Woo Sang-ho, the Seoul mayoral candidate, constitutes 'secondary victimization,' Minister Jeong gave an ambiguous answer, saying, "It is right to judge so." Previously, candidate Woo posted on social media referring to the late Mayor Park Won-soon as a 'role model' and saying 'Woo Sang-ho is Park Won-soon.'

Minister Jeong said, "When this story spread on social media, it seems he said he did not mean it that way. It appears he was aware that his remarks could lead to secondary victimization." She added, "I think anyone, whoever it may be, should refrain from words and actions that could cause secondary harm or wounds to the victim."

There was also a question about whether it was appropriate for Kang Nan-hee, the late Mayor Park’s wife, to recently reveal a handwritten letter appealing for her late husband's innocence. Minister Jeong responded, "From the family's perspective, they want to restore the deceased’s honor, but I think everyone in society should refrain from words and actions that hurt the victim."

Meanwhile, Minister Jeong also responded that it is not worth responding to the paper by Harvard Professor Mark Ramseyer, who claimed that comfort women were 'voluntary prostitutes.'

Minister Jeong said, "I question whether this paper is worthy of a government response." She continued, "Many media outlets and people have already raised issues, and we have been considering whether it is appropriate to respond immediately to such papers whenever these incidents occur."

Yang Kyung-sook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for issuing a statement expressing 'regret' over Professor Ramseyer's paper on the 16th, calling it a belated response.

In response to Yang’s criticism that there was not a single official responsible for securing Professor Ramseyer’s paper, Minister Jeong asked back, "Did you speak with someone at the level of a section chief?" She then said, "I was aware. Not only about Ramseyer’s paper but also about issues like defamation and insult, we will explore how to respond more actively."

Regarding the suggestion by grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a comfort women victim, to file a case on the comfort women issue with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Minister Jeong drew a line, saying, "It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so it is appropriate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to respond."

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