Lee Su-jeong: "MBC, which released the '7-hour transcript,' also bears responsibility for secondary harm"

"Kim Gun-hee Likely Did Not Expect Recording to Be Released"
"MBC Knew This Yet Reported... Re-victimizing by Calling Victim Again"

Professor Lee Su-jeong, Kyonggi University / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Professor Lee Sujeong of Kyonggi University, who resigned from her advisory position at the Women’s Headquarters under the People Power Party’s Election Countermeasures Headquarters, criticized MBC for its role in the so-called 'Ahn Hee-jung defense remarks' made by Kim Gun-hee, the wife of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "MBC, which released the recorded remarks, also bears responsibility."

In an interview with 'JTBC Newsroom' on the 19th, Professor Lee said, "Although Kim Gun-hee’s remarks were inappropriate from the start, she probably did not expect them to be made public," adding, "MBC knew everything but still chose to report such content, thereby committing the fault of re-victimizing the victim by bringing up the issue again."

Regarding her decision to step down from her position, she explained, "Because (secondary victimization) could mean a repeated great pain for the person involved, I felt it was regrettable and appropriate to express my regret," and added, "I judged that my position in the campaign could cause controversy. I wanted my intentions to be conveyed accurately."

Professor Lee also expressed hope that Kim would directly apologize to Kim Ji-eun, the victim of former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung’s sexual assault case. She said, "I think it would be really good if there is an opportunity for Kim Gun-hee to apologize," but added, "It doesn’t seem likely to happen quickly, and since MBC said they would release a second part this weekend, I expect a statement might come after reviewing the report."

Contents of the 7-hour recorded conversation of Kim Geon-hee aired on MBC current affairs program 'Exploratory Planning Straight' / Photo by MBC Broadcasting Capture

Earlier, on the 16th, MBC’s current affairs program 'Straight' released a recording of a phone call between Kim and a reporter from the YouTube channel 'Seoul Voice.'

In the recording, Kim said, "The Me Too movement was first triggered during the Moon Jae-in administration, and they tried to catch them. Why try to catch them?" She also said, "Honestly, I feel sorry for Ahn Hee-jung. My husband (candidate Yoon) and I are very much on Ahn Hee-jung’s side," sparking controversy over secondary victimization.

In response, Kim Ji-eun, the victim of former Governor Ahn’s sexual assault case, urged a sincere apology from Kim Gun-hee through a statement released by the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center on the 17th.

Amid growing controversy, Professor Lee posted on her Facebook page the same day, bowing her head and saying, "As an advisor to the Women’s Headquarters of the People Power Party’s election campaign, I sincerely regret the mental pain caused to Kim Ji-eun, the victim of the Ahn Hee-jung case."

She added, "The candidate’s wife herself suffered for a long time from misogynistic character assassination due to the 'Julie rumor,' and I deeply apologize for not providing careful consideration to the pain of Kim Ji-eun, the sexual assault victim."

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