[Comprehensive] "Was Park Won-soon Really Such a Terrible Person?" Criticism Floods at Lim Jong-seok Saying... "Stop Secondary Harm"

Im Jong-seok Defends "Park Won-soon, the Most Honest Public Official"
Justice Party Questions "Is Secondary Harm an Election Strategy?"

Im Jong-seok, former Chief of Staff to the President.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok evaluated the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on the 23rd as "the most honest public official," prompting political circles to label this as 'secondary harm' and call for an apology from Im.

Jung Hojin, senior spokesperson of the Justice Party, issued a statement that day saying, "Is the Democratic Party's secondary harm an election strategy?" and sharply criticized, "Continuous secondary harm is a crime."

He pointed out, "Im Jong-seok, who served as the Presidential Chief of Staff, surely knows why this Seoul mayoral by-election is being held, yet openly committing secondary harm right before the election is very malicious," adding, "Im Jong-seok is truly a despicable person."

He continued, "Can a party that obstructs the victim's return to daily life be responsible for the lives of ten million Seoul citizens? Ultimately, the apology from the Democratic Party leadership and Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun can only be seen as a reluctant gesture ahead of the Seoul mayoral by-election," and criticized it as "an empty apology that caused secondary harm."

Furthermore, Senior Spokesperson Jung emphasized, "The Democratic Party must immediately stop the secondary harm," and "If the apology from the Democratic Party leadership and candidate Park is sincere, they should immediately take party-level measures against Im Jong-seok. That is the only way to confirm sincerity."

Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong also criticized Im, saying, "Romanticizing the late with fragrance before the election without true reflection and apology will only lead to failure."

In a post on her Facebook that day, Ryu said, "The deceased has passed away, and the election remains. The National Human Rights Commission concluded through an ex officio investigation that sexual harassment did occur, but in the election battlefield of 'catch that woman,' the victim once again appealed about secondary harm."

She added, "The Democratic Party even amended its party constitution. They could not have allowed the power of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, to be taken away. They also could not have refrained from fielding a candidate like the Justice Party. If so, they should have stopped the ambiguous rhetoric and properly sought forgiveness from the victim," raising her voice.

Ryu also argued, "Instead of cutting off one speaker's tail, they should have stood on the victim's side like lawyer Park Won-soon. That is the only way to restore the people's trust in the collapsed ruling power."

She then pointed at Im Jong-seok, saying, "No one is unaware of the deceased's achievements," and "It's not that he was such a despicable person, but that 'despicable acts' occurred, and there is still a victim suffering."

Finally, Ryu concluded her post by saying, "It would be better if you could show an example of reflection on the 'lost things' that existed in the past when democracy was built against unjust power but are now gone."

Ryu Ho-jeong, Justice Party member. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Kim Yong-tae, head of the People Power Party's Gwangmyeong district in Gyeonggi Province, also criticized Im Jong-seok, asking, "Are you mocking the people?"

Kim said on his Facebook that day, "Im Jong-seok only sees his ardent supporters and does not care about the people," and sharply criticized, "I am really fed up with Im Jong-seok's attitude of not knowing what he did wrong and not reflecting."

He continued, "Have you already forgotten why 57 billion won of taxpayers' money is being invested during the difficult times of COVID-19?" and said, "It is Im Jong-seok's personal freedom to feel the fragrance of Mayor Park, but first, he should feel pain for the suffering the sexual harassment victim endured and seek forgiveness."

He added, "The attitude of only protecting one's own side without empathizing with the pain felt by the people must be eradicated," and said, "You should be ashamed."

Earlier, Im Jong-seok defended the late Park Won-soon on his Facebook that morning, saying, "Was Park Won-soon really such a despicable person?" and "If integrity is still an important ethic for public officials, Park Won-soon was the most honest public official I knew."

He described the late mayor as "a petty public official who did not eat hotel meals, never wore a sharp suit, and left more than half of the business promotion expenses unused." Im served as Seoul's Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs during Park's second term.

Im also mentioned Park's administration, including the restructuring of Gwanghwamun Square and village community projects, adding, "I feel the fragrance of Park Won-soon."

Furthermore, he emphasized, "Park Won-soon was the most sensitive and progressive person regarding future values and everyday issues," and "I hope his passion, which tirelessly tried to fill the rigid administration with human warmth and breath, will not be buried."

Finally, he said, "I hope that on a chair somewhere in the forest of Yongsan Park, which is finally returning to the citizens and is no less enviable than New York's Central Park, the name of Park Won-soon, who fiercely sought to elevate human value every moment, will be modestly engraved."

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