Victim of Park Won-soon Appears in First Official Setting: "From Start to Finish, I Am the Victim... Feeling Powerless" (Comprehensive)

Victim's Title and Secondary Harm "All Wrong"
"Deceased's Waiver of Defense Makes Victim's Burden Entirely Mine"

"If a Party Distorting the Facts Is Elected Mayor,
I Don't Think I Can Return to My Position"

Also on the Book 'Birth of Tragedy' Releasing on the 19th

On the morning of the 17th, a seat was prepared for the late Park Won-soon sexual violence case victim at the press conference titled 'Speaking Together with the Victims of the Seoul Mayor's Sexual Violence Case' held at a hotel in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The victim who accused the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of sexual harassment attended a press conference in person for the first time since the incident and shared her feelings.

The victim, Ms. A, attended the press conference titled "Stop, Reflect, and Take a Step Toward a Gender-Equal Tomorrow," held by the Joint Action on the Seoul Mayor's Power Sexual Violence Case on the morning of the 17th. She said, "The clear fact is that I am the victim of this case from beginning to end," adding, "I feel powerless seeing people applauding the former mayor as if they do not acknowledge the victimization."

Ms. A said, "I want to forgive for my recovery. However, in the current situation, I question who I can truly forgive and fear the reality I face." She continued, "The designation as a victim and the distortion of the case, which have allowed severe secondary victimization to be tolerated, were all wrong from the start," and added, "I have suffered unbearable self-blame, wondering if the decision to file a complaint has created this dreadful present."

She also said, "If the deceased had been alive to undergo judicial procedures and exercise his right to defense, the truth of the case might have come closer," and "The harm caused by the deceased’s waiver of his right to defense has become entirely my burden." Ms. A became tearful at times while expressing her position.

Earlier, through a statement read by Song Ran-hee, Executive Director of Korea Women's Hotline, Ms. A said, "I want to speak before it is too late. His power made it impossible to call out his wrongdoing or to say it was wrong," adding, "His power made me refine and reconsider hundreds of times when telling others about his wrongdoing." She further pointed out, "His power continues to torment me due to people who refuse to acknowledge his wrongdoing even after his passing," and "His power was used as a tool to protect the ideology of those who mercilessly harassed me, believing only they were righteous. His power still exists strongly."

In the Q&A session, Ms. A explained her reason for attending the press conference, saying, "I think the original reason for holding the (Seoul mayoral by-)election has been largely obscured in the current situation," and "I fear that when a mayor is elected from a party that distorted the victimization and caused harm, I will not be able to return to my place." She added, "I wanted to choose the side with less regret," and said, "I chose the lighter burden of regret between the consequences of speaking out and not speaking, which led me to stand here."

She also criticized the Democratic Party’s apology as insufficient. Ms. A said, "Although former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon and Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun apologized, I feel they did not clearly specify what they were apologizing for," adding, "The Democratic Party not only bore responsibility for the serious wrongdoing of its affiliated politician but also tried to minimize and distort my victimization by labeling me as a victim complainant." She emphasized, "Before apologizing, there must be acknowledgment of facts and subsequent measures. So far, I think the apologies lack sincerity and realism."

Furthermore, Ms. A expressed her position on the upcoming book "Birth of a Tragedy," to be published on the 19th. The book was compiled by Son Byung-kwan, an OhmyNews reporter who covered the Seoul City Hall during Park’s tenure as mayor, based on testimonies from former and current officials who worked in the Seoul Mayor’s Office from 2015 to 2020.

She said, "According to what I heard from acquaintances, there are claims denying facts recognized by the National Human Rights Commission," and added, "I believe there is a difference in weight between victimization recognized by a national, authoritative institution and claims written by an individual in a book." She further stated, "I believe discerning readers will evaluate the book with the proper perspective."

Ms. A has previously conveyed her position through her legal team and support organizations. On July 22 last year, she stated in a press release, "I hope the process will be revealed through lawful and reasonable procedures without any prejudice." She also demanded that Democratic Party lawmaker Nam In-soon, who was suspected of leaking information about the sexual harassment accusation against former Mayor Park, "admit her wrongdoing of concealing the facts she knew, sincerely apologize to me, and resign her seat."

Professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University, who attended the press conference, said, "Please stop the secondary victimization. She is suffering greatly," and added, "Not only the victim but also many well-intentioned people who stand in solidarity with her and work for her recovery are also suffering from secondary victimization. Please stop that as well."

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