"Active Welcome" vs "Abuse of Authority": Oh Se-hoon Sparks Netizens' Debate Over Funeral Director 'Accountability'

Oh Se-hoon "Personnel action for those responsible for deciding Park Won-soon Seoul City funeral"
Park Won-soon victim, moved to tears by Oh Se-hoon's apology

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is giving a greeting at a meeting with Seoul disability organizations commemorating the 41st Disabled Persons Day held at Seoul City Hall on the afternoon of the 20th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Netizens continue to debate over Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's personnel order against those responsible for handling the funeral of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as a mayoral funeral (葬). Some netizens criticized Mayor Oh's action as an 'abuse of authority,' while others praised him for apologizing to the victim on behalf of the late mayor.

On the 20th, Mayor Oh issued an apology statement to the victim of the former mayor Park, saying, "As the current mayor, I apologize for the sexual harassment and sexual violence incidents that occurred during the previous mayor's term."

He added, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government's response was very insufficient, not only in immediate action at the time of the incident but also regarding secondary harm. Seeing the former mayor's funeral and the incense altar set up in Seoul Plaza, I believe the victim must have felt despair in the face of overwhelming power." Mayor Oh promised to support the victim's return to work and announced measures to prevent recurrence.

In response, pro-government online communities such as 'Clien' raised their voices in criticism, claiming that Mayor Oh's actions amounted to 'political retaliation.'

One netizen exclaimed, "Even in this day and age, they still do political retaliation like that. It's truly petty beyond words."

Other netizens also reacted with comments such as "They're blatantly doing political retaliation. Isn't this abuse of authority?", "When the Democratic Party does it, it's 'political retaliation'; when the People Power Party does it, it's 'personnel action.' It's pathetic," "Most Seoul citizens wanted Oh Se-hoon as mayor, but I am seriously ashamed to be a Seoul citizen now," and "I expected it, but it's such a pathetic move."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 20th, reviewing documents. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the other hand, in the online community 'FM Korea,' known for its critical stance toward the current government, netizens praised Mayor Oh for showing a 'magnanimous' attitude.

Netizens responded positively with comments like "Park Won-soon committed the sexual crimes, but Oh Se-hoon is the one apologizing," "Seoul is returning to normal," "Wow, Oh Se-hoon is truly magnanimous. Apologizing even though it's not his own issue," "Mayor Oh is doing a great job," and "I feel relieved."

Voices welcoming Mayor Oh's measures also came from the political sphere. Oh Hyun-joo, spokesperson for the Justice Party, said in a briefing that day, "Mayor Oh issued an apology to the victim and announced concrete measures to prevent recurrence. We actively welcome this."

Spokesperson Oh added, "The unjust power exerted against the victim must end now," and "We will support the victim so that she can enjoy an ordinary daily life."

She emphasized, "The Democratic Party and Seoul city officials who downplayed the victim's experience and caused secondary harm must offer a sincere apology to the victim."

Meanwhile, the victim of former Mayor Park's sexual harassment reportedly said after receiving Mayor Oh's official apology, "I was moved to tears by how carefully he considered my position."

Through women's organizations and legal representatives supporting her, she released a statement saying, "I am grateful that the head of the place I will return to has looked into the past and future events," and "I expect Seoul City Hall to become a better workplace. I hope that with the empathy, comfort, and strong will shown to me, Seoul City will be wisely led going forward."

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