Former Seoul City Employee in 'Park Won-soon Sexual Assault' Case Sentenced to 3 Years and 6 Months in Prison on Appeal

Seoul High Court, Seocho-dong, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A former Seoul mayor’s secretary office employee accused of sexually assaulting a fellow public official was sentenced to prison again in the appellate court, just as in the first trial.

On the 27th at 2 p.m., the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Moon Gwangseop) sentenced Jeong Mo, a former Seoul city public official charged with quasi-rape causing injury, to 3 years and 6 months in prison in the appellate trial.

The court stated, "The defendant committed sexual violence against a victim who was intoxicated, and considering the circumstances and method, the nature of the crime is serious," adding, "As a public official, the defendant’s crime against a workplace colleague is highly condemnable."

Jeong was prosecuted for allegedly taking A, who was heavily intoxicated the day before the April 15, 2019 general election, to a motel and sexually assaulting her, causing her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A is also known as the person who accused former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon of sexual harassment.

On this day, the court pointed out, "The victim appears to have experienced physical and mental pain and shame, and still seems to suffer severe aftereffects," adding, "There has also been significant secondary damage due to media coverage of the case." The court further stated, "The original trial considered all sentencing factors comprehensively and did not exceed the bounds of reasonable judgment," concluding, "both the defendant’s and the prosecution’s appeals are dismissed."

At the previous sentencing hearing, the prosecution requested the court to sentence Jeong to 8 years in prison, as in the first trial. In court, Jeong’s lawyer said, "We are trying to reach an agreement with the victim," but A’s side pleaded, "Please impose an appropriate criminal punishment on Jeong."

Earlier, the first trial court sentenced Jeong to 3 years and 6 months in prison, stating, "The crime is serious as the defendant sexually assaulted the victim causing post-traumatic stress injury."

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