'1st Anniversary of Park Won-soon’s Death' Joint Statement by Victim Support Action: "Victims’ Return to Daily Life Still Distant"

Large-Scale Police Investigation Fizzles Out
Enforcement of the Sexual Violence Prevention Act Amendment

Experts: "Investigation Authority to Ministry of Gender Equality"
"Investigation Results Must Be Informed to the Complainant"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyun Song, Jeongyun Lee] "One year of taking a step closer toward 'a world where people can simply live with dignity."

The Joint Action for the Seoul Mayor Power Sexual Violence Case, which supports the victims of the sexual harassment case involving the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, evaluated the year following Park's death in this way. In a statement released on the 1st anniversary of Park's death on the 9th, the Joint Action said, "The perpetrator's responsible acknowledgment and apology, and the victim's courage to seek the truth despite unprecedented circumstances such as the leak of the accusation and the perpetrator's death, have changed a lot over the past year." They added, "The National Human Rights Commission's ex officio investigation uncovered part of the substantive truth of the case, recommended related institutions to correct the system and organizational culture that condone and aid sexual violence, and also drew out an apology from the ruling party, which had only been concerned with saving face. However, the victim's 'return to daily life' remains a distant prospect."

The large-scale police investigation surrounding the death of former Mayor Park and the sexual harassment allegations ended in a 'fizzle.' The police investigated the sexual harassment accusations against Park and allegations of neglect by Seoul city employees for over five months but failed to produce significant results due to Park's death and ultimately forwarded all cases to the prosecution with a non-indictment recommendation. However, the National Human Rights Commission's ex officio investigation confirmed that Park had sexually harassed the victim through inappropriate physical contact and sending text messages. Earlier, a court referenced Park's sexual harassment allegations in another trial involving the victim, issuing a judgment implying that the sexual harassment did indeed occur.

There were also efforts to bring about institutional changes after the incident. The partial amendment to the "Act on the Prevention of Sexual Violence and Protection of Victims" (commonly called the "Park Won-soon Prevention Act") will take effect on the 13th. If sexual violence by coercion or power occurs in public institutions, the head of the institution or the person in charge must report it to investigative authorities unless the victim explicitly objects. The institution head must immediately notify the Minister of Gender Equality and Family and submit measures to prevent recurrence within three months.

Experts say more effective improvements are needed to prevent and eradicate power-based sexual crimes. Professor Lee Su-jeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University said, "The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family fails to function properly because it is merely a bureaucratic organization without investigative authority," adding, "It is necessary to strengthen overall authority, such as granting investigative powers like the Human Rights Commission or establishing a dedicated organization with full-time officials at local governments." Lawyer Lee Eun-ui emphasized, "In sexual crimes, cases often end with no prosecution if the suspect dies, but unlike other crimes, if investigations are not conducted, there is no way to confirm whether harm occurred. Even if the case ends with no prosecution, the investigation results should be communicated to the accuser, and outdated practices that disregarded victims' voices must be broken to make rational and principled choices."

Meanwhile, the memorial service for former Mayor Park's first anniversary, originally scheduled to be held at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was held on a small scale with only family members participating due to the resurgence of COVID-19, differing from the original plan.

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