Court to Proceed Today as Scheduled with Second Trial Sentencing Date for Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don Accused of Forcible Sexual Harassment of Staff

Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The appellate court sentencing hearing for former Busan Mayor Oh Geo-don, who was sentenced to imprisonment and detained in the first trial for forcibly molesting a female employee and causing injury, is scheduled to be held as planned on the 9th.

The Busan High Court announced that on the same day at 2 p.m., the Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Oh Hyun-kyu) will proceed with the appellate sentencing hearing for former Mayor Oh as scheduled.

The defense team of former Mayor Oh submitted a request to postpone the sentencing hearing one day before the scheduled date.

The court stated, "There will be no change in the progress of the sentencing hearing," adding, "However, at the start of the trial, we will first hear the opinions of both parties regarding the request to postpone the sentencing hearing and then proceed with the trial."

The court further added, "Depending on the responses from both sides, the decision on whether to proceed with the sentencing may change, but that can only be determined once the trial begins."

It is understood that the day before, former Mayor Oh's side requested the postponement of the sentencing hearing to allow more time to reach an amicable settlement with the victim. However, the victim's legal representative reiterated to the court that there is no intention to settle.

The victim, identified as A, submitted a petition to the court on the 7th, stating, "I earnestly plead for the heaviest sentence allowed by law to be imposed on the perpetrator," and expressed hope that "the court's judgment on Oh Geo-don, who wasted numerous opportunities and time even after the incomprehensible crime, will serve as a lesson to eradicate power-based sexual crimes in our country."

After the news of former Mayor Oh's request to postpone the sentencing hearing became known, the Joint Countermeasure Committee on the Oh Geo-don Sexual Violence Case, composed of 292 women's and civic organizations nationwide, issued a statement strongly opposing it.

The committee stated, "The perpetrator has already had sufficient time and opportunities for reflection but has abandoned them," and added, "Further delaying the trial is unacceptable, and tormenting the victim until the day before the sentencing is intolerable," urging the court for a swift judgment.

Former Mayor Oh, who was elected as Busan Mayor in the June 2018 local elections after four attempts, is accused of forcibly molesting Busan City Hall employee A around November 2018 and attempting to molest A again in December of the same year, which was unsuccessful.

He is also accused of molesting employee B in his mayoral office in April 2020 and causing injury to B, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), under the charge of forcible molestation causing injury.

Oh, who was affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, confessed to sexual harassment and resigned from his mayoral position on April 23, shortly after the April 15 general election last year.

In the first trial, the court stated, "This case involves sexual violence by power, where the defendant used his overwhelmingly superior position over the victim," sentencing former Mayor Oh to three years in prison and ordering his immediate detention. The court also mandated that Oh complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and imposed a five-year employment ban at child and youth facilities and welfare facilities for the disabled.

During the trial, former Mayor Oh's defense contested whether the mental damage, such as PTSD suffered by the victim, could be considered injury caused by forcible molestation, but the court recognized the charge of forcible molestation causing injury as valid.

The court at the time stated, "The victim was caught off guard during the defendant's official duties as the head of the organization where she worked, experiencing a highly humiliating and mentally shocking event, which left lasting wounds," and added, "Given the high social interest and the prolonged investigation, it is foreseeable that the victim's suffering increased, thus PTSD can be acknowledged."

In the appellate trial, former Mayor Oh's defense, which had consistently denied the charge of forcible molestation causing injury, recently submitted a withdrawal statement at a continuation hearing, retracting their previous claims and admitting to the charges.

During the prosecution's closing arguments, the prosecution requested the same seven-year imprisonment sentence as in the first trial for former Mayor Oh.

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