Police Transfer Acting Jongno-gu Office Chief on 'Sexual Harassment Allegation'... "Deep Regret, Full Cooperation with Remaining Investigation" (Comprehensive)

Charge of Forced Indecent Assault Causing Injury
Acting Chief Kang Pil-young "2 out of 5 Alleged Charges Seem to Have Been Transferred"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have sent Kang Pil-young, acting mayor of Jongno District Office, who is accused of sexually harassing his secretary during his tenure as deputy district mayor, to prosecution.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Unit sent Kang, who is suspected of forced sexual assault causing injury, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 23rd with a partial indictment recommendation. The police forwarded the case to the prosecution under the charge of forced sexual assault causing injury, which carries a heavier sentence than the initially reported charge.

Kang is accused of sexually harassing victim A, who was his secretary when he was deputy district mayor, for one year and four months from July 2020 to October last year. A filed a complaint with the police against Kang for sexual harassment under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, citing abuse of authority in the workplace, and stated that she recorded the details of the incident in her diary.

During the police investigation, A claimed that Kang suggested, "Let's go for a walk, just the two of us," and when she refused, he pressured her under the pretext of greetings, causing her psychological trauma.

The police investigated A twice as a complainant in December last year and conducted the first investigation of Kang around March.

Kang countersued A at Jongno Police Station for attempted extortion. Regarding this referral to prosecution, he said, "The complainant filed charges on five counts, but I was sufficiently exonerated for three incidents that occurred during lunch, with objective evidence contradicting her claims, resulting in no charges. I deeply regret that the remaining two cases were sent to prosecution, and I will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation to prove my innocence."

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