Woo Sang-ho's "Second Victimization" Controversy, Yet Kim Jin-ae Says "Park Won-soon's Legacy is Brilliant"... Citizens' Outrage

Criticism of 'Park Won-soon Role Model' Remark... Kim Jin-ae "Park Won-soon Made Many Contributions"
Expert: "Remark Goes Beyond Seeking Pro-Moon Jae-in Votes"

Jin-ae Kim, Open Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Kim Jin-ae, the Open Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, sparked controversy on the 7th with remarks defending the late Mayor Park Won-soon, saying, "Mayor Park's achievements are beyond words," and "How can a human being be flawless?" Following Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho, who previously referred to Park as a 'role model,' other ruling party figures have again made statements that appear to defend the sexual harassment perpetrator, fueling public outrage.

Despite the court recognizing the sexual harassment committed by the late mayor and the fact that the by-election for Seoul mayor was triggered by Park's sexual harassment case, criticism is pouring in that there has been no proper reflection and that 'secondary victimization' against the victim continues unabated.

On the morning of the same day, Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office regarding the late mayor. She argued that since this by-election is being held due to Park's absence, it is a basic duty as a politician, especially as a female candidate, to express her stance on the matter.

Kim said, "If I were to judge, the biggest fault of the late Mayor Park was that even if he had flaws regarding sexual harassment, he left abruptly without any explanation or clarification," adding, "We must coldly and clearly assess the merits and faults of the former mayor."

She continued, "The achievements of Mayor Park during his nine years in Seoul's administration are countless," praising him by saying, "He rooted human values in Seoul's administration, and his footprints in welfare, culture, environment, and historical restoration are dazzling." She then added remarks seemingly defending the late mayor, such as "How can a human be flawless?" and "The tragedy of people taking their own lives out of fear of personal attacks by the media and political circles exploiting sensationalism must not be repeated."

Regarding the National Human Rights Commission's announcement recognizing the sexual harassment allegations against Park, Kim said, "There remain suspicious questions," and urged Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun to "clearly state her position on this matter."

Woo Sang-ho, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. Photo by Yonhap News

As Kim's remarks became known, citizens expressed outrage. Despite the prosecution, courts, and the Human Rights Commission acknowledging the sexual harassment by the late mayor, it is deemed inappropriate to still publicly make statements defending the perpetrator. Criticism also continues that there was no consideration for the victim who has repeatedly suffered 'secondary victimization.'

One netizen said, "Ruling party politicians call the victim a 'complainant' and refuse to acknowledge the facts, while holding grand funerals for the perpetrator even during the COVID-19 pandemic, committing secondary victimization," adding, "Have they forgotten why the Seoul mayoral election is being held? Is sexual crime a common offense that can be discussed as someone's legacy? Yet they still fail to realize their wrongdoing and continue to make statements siding with the perpetrator."

This is not the first time ruling party politicians have made remarks defending the late mayor. Earlier, Woo Sang-ho, a Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, posted a tribute to Park on his Facebook on the 10th of last month, sparking controversy over 'secondary victimization.'

In the post, Woo said, "Mayor Park Won-soon is a role model of innovation for me," "I will take the lead in inheriting and developing Mayor Park's policies," and "Park Won-soon is Woo Sang-ho, and Woo Sang-ho is Park Won-soon."

As criticism spread, Woo appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and clarified, "I meant that I want to learn from Mayor Park's innovative policies, not that his entire life is my role model." However, when the host continued questioning, he showed discomfort, saying, "Stop it. Haven't I said enough?"

Citizens also criticized Woo's reaction, saying that if he truly had a sincere apology for the victim, he would not have behaved that way.

Following Woo's remarks, Kim's recent statements have also sparked controversy, leading to strong criticism within political circles. Hwang Kyu-hwan, senior deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party, released a statement on the 7th, condemning Kim by saying, "Her remarks were full of distorted perceptions and narrow-mindedness, and nowhere could 'victim-centeredness' be found."

He added, "They view the incident based on their own interests in a dangerous and unfair way," and pointed out, "They pretend to acknowledge wrongdoing on the surface, but internally deny it, and when faced with unfavorable situations, they blame the media and others. This is the trademark of this administration's officials."

Hwang stated, "The late mayor's greatest fault was the sexual crime committed through the abuse of power. Kim has no qualification to run in this election caused by Park's sexual crime," urging her to apologize and withdraw her candidacy.

Experts analyzed that Kim's remarks are related to the pro-Moon (친문) supporter vote. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "(Kim's remarks) can be seen as a message to the core supporters. It is a message aimed at progressives, especially the pro-Moon core," emphasizing, "It seems she is trying to increase her presence among them and create a favorable environment for her future political career."

He added, "However, such remarks are quite detached from the sentiments of ordinary citizens," and "While it may create an imprint effect among pro-Moon supporters, these are remarks that should not have been made and reveal an inner refusal to truly reflect on the Park sexual harassment case. Ultimately, it will have a negative impact on the ruling party."

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