"Exclude Secondary Perpetrators from Nomination"...Will the Democratic Party Take the First Step to Eradicate 'Power-Based Sexual Crimes' in Candidate Selection?

Sexual Violence Counseling Center Urges Democratic Party to Exclude 'Secondary Victimization Politicians' from Nomination
Earlier, Democratic Party Promised "Zero Tolerance for Sexual Crimes and Eradication of Leniency"
Some Supporters Demand "Strong Measures Against Repeated Sexual Crimes"
Experts Call for "Appropriate Nomination for Generational and Political Change"

Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, who was indicted on charges of forced molestation causing injury, is attending his first trial held at the Busan District Court on the morning of June 1 last year and responding to questions from the press. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] There have been calls to exclude politicians who committed secondary harm related to power-based sexual violence from party nominations in the June 1 local elections. The Emergency Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) previously announced that it would introduce a zero-tolerance policy toward power-based sexual crimes, citing cases such as the late Park Won-soon, former mayor of Seoul; Oh Keo-don, former mayor of Busan; and Ahn Hee-jung, former governor of Chungnam Province. The current demand emphasizes the need for safeguards against secondary perpetrators as well.

The Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center and the Busan Sexual Violence Relief Center urged on the 13th that candidates deemed unfit should be excluded from nominations and that measures be established concerning secondary harm caused by sexual violence incidents involving DPK-affiliated local government heads.

Both organizations stated, "For several years, victims have been trapped in unresolved secondary harm from sexual violence, affecting their daily lives. We hope that the Democratic Party’s systematic measures will bring tangible change to the victims of sexual violence cases and to the citizens who have observed this process for years, and we urge the Democratic Party to respond."

They also demanded strict official actions against individuals who shielded sexual violence perpetrators, distorted facts of the crimes, or attacked victims, and called for their exclusion from positions related to the local elections. Furthermore, they emphasized the need to establish preventive measures against secondary harm from sexual violence and insisted that helpers who were unjustly expelled from the Democratic Party for assisting victims should be honorably reinstated.

Attention is now focused on what response the Democratic Party will provide regarding nominations. The party promised to implement a zero-tolerance policy on sexual crimes at its first emergency committee meeting following the presidential election.

Co-Chairperson Park Ji-hyun announced at the emergency committee meeting on the 14th of last month that a zero-tolerance policy on sexual crimes would be introduced. She criticized, "The Democratic Party has abused its position and power without consideration for victims in cases of power-based sexual crimes and sexual misconduct, and has neither apologized nor acknowledged secondary harm." She added, "It took years even to get them to open their mouths to apologize." She further stated, "Sexual misconduct and sexual violence are issues of human rights violations and violence that cannot be divided by gender and must never be tolerated. This will be strictly applied as a criterion for nominations in the upcoming local elections."

She also pledged to eradicate political favoritism toward politicians who violate social norms. Co-Chairperson Park said, "There are still people within the Democratic Party who protect politicians who violate social norms through academic ties, regionalism, blood relations, and favoritism. While offering personal consolation may be irrelevant, it is not uncommon for such acts to be publicly performed in the political arena," she criticized.

Yun Ho-jung and Park Ji-hyun, co-chairs of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, are attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th, talking during the meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

During the recent presidential election, the Democratic Party also apologized for sexual crimes committed by party-affiliated local government heads and the secondary harm inflicted on victims. On March 2, amid the presidential election campaign, Lee Jae-myung, the then Democratic Party presidential candidate, said in a TV debate, "Some Democratic Party metropolitan mayors committed power-based sexual crimes, and some within the party participated in secondary harm by referring to victims as complainants. Many people are hurt and criticize the party for not taking responsibility and nominating candidates in the by-elections." He bowed his head and said, "I apologize first and foremost. We understand the severity of the public’s reprimand and will ensure such incidents do not happen again."

Democratic Party supporters are also placing their hopes on party reform. Choi (female, 27) said, "When I learned about the power-based sexual crime cases involving local government heads, I was very disappointed in the Democratic Party. However, when candidate Lee Jae-myung brought in Co-Chairperson Park Ji-hyun during the presidential election, I thought the Democratic Party showed a strong will to eradicate sexual crimes." She added that it is right to prepare measures to prevent repeated sexual crimes.

Experts view the proposal to apply a zero-tolerance policy on sexual crimes in nominations positively. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon emphasized, "The Democratic Party must make nominations that align with its declared generational and political change. The standards must be applied strictly."

However, he pointed out, "Although there has been talk of the '86 retirement theory,' it seems that generational change is not happening." The '86 group' refers to politicians born in the 1960s who attended university in the 1980s. The retirement announcements of former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-choon and former Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Jae-sung sparked the '86 retirement theory.' However, with former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil declaring his candidacy for local elections, the theory has lost momentum, making generational change difficult, he noted.

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