"Apologizing with a Bow to the Victim"... Gominjeong, Controversial 'Victim Complainant', Resigns as Spokesperson for Park Young-sun's Camp

Ko Min-jung, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Ko Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who sparked controversy over secondary victimization by using the term 'victim complainant' for the sexual harassment victim of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, announced on the 18th that she would resign from her position as spokesperson for Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun.

On the same day, Ko posted on her Facebook, "I have been constantly thinking over the past few months about how to heal the pain of the victim," and opened up by saying, "As a woman, a female politician, and a mother, I have spent countless days pondering how to comfort the pain we must embrace together."

She said, "I was always anxious about when and how to express my apologies," and added, "But today, I say this: I bow my head and apologize for causing pain to the victim due to my wrong thoughts."

She continued, "I sincerely hope that the victim’s daily life can be restored and that she can escape these painful days," and said, "I hope to meet her in person and convey my sincere feelings."

Photo by Go Min-jung, captured from the Facebook page of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Earlier, the victim of the former Mayor Park’s sexual harassment case pointed out at a press conference the day before, "(The Democratic Party) tried to downplay and conceal the victim’s facts by using the term 'victim complainant,'" and said, "There are many people in the current election camp who hurt me. Before apologizing, there must be acknowledgment of the facts and follow-up measures."

She added, "I hope Mayor Park will sternly reprimand the lawmakers who labeled me as a 'victim complainant' to make them apologize directly," and said, "There should also be party-level disciplinary actions against those lawmakers."

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