Park Ji-hyun "Inha University Tragedy... 'Abolition of Ministry of Gender Equality' President, 'Lenient' Court All Accomplices"

Former Co-Chair of the Democratic Party Emergency Committee Park Ji-hyun wipes sweat while holding a press conference in front of the National Assembly main gate on the 15th, declaring her candidacy for the next party leader election.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Park Jihyun, former co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's Emergency Response Committee, expressed deep sorrow over the recent death incident that occurred on the Inha University campus, stating, "It is truly devastating," and "We are all accomplices in the face of the victim's tragic death."

On the 16th, Park posted on her Facebook, "A university student was sexually assaulted by a male classmate and fell to her death," calling it "an unimaginable tragedy that happened within a university, a place that should be filled with scholarship and intellect."

Park questioned, "Is there really any safe space for women in South Korea?" and added, "I also doubt whether our society has reached a social consensus to respect women as complete individuals and to create a safe society for women."

She further argued that everyone shares responsibility for this incident. Park emphasized, "Politicians who rush to protect perpetrators rather than victims when sexual violence and harassment occur, the president who denies structural gender discrimination and calls for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and courts that hand down lenient punishments to serious criminals who distributed hundreds of thousands of sexually exploitative materials?all are accomplices in this case."

Addressing the media, she criticized, "They show no interest in protecting the human rights of the woman who suffered a tragic death or in preventing similar sex crimes," and accused them of "recklessly using sensational words for provocative reporting." She continued, "Such reporting behavior must be recognized as potentially causing secondary harm to the victim," and "I sincerely ask you to deeply consider how heart-wrenching this is for the bereaved families who lost their child in such a tragic event."

She also reiterated that the victim's death is "a social death caused by all these failures." Park warned, "If politicians, the president, and judges do not change their mindset, and if the media does not abandon its wrongful attitude of treating news as a business through sensational reporting, such tragedies will continue to repeat."

She urged, "To prevent recurring tragedies, the legislature must enact proper laws, and the executive branch must create policies to protect victims." She called on the judiciary to impose strict punishments on perpetrators.

On the 16th, Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee, posted a message titled "We Are All Accomplices in the Face of the Victim's Tragic Death" on her Facebook regarding the death incident that occurred on the Inha University campus the previous day.
[Photo by former Chair Park's Facebook capture]

Meanwhile, at around 3:49 a.m. on the 15th, a female university student who had collapsed on the Inha University campus was discovered by a passerby. According to the Michuhol Police Station in Incheon, the victim was found with her clothes removed and bleeding heavily from her head and mouth. She was transported to the hospital by the 119 emergency medical team in a state of cardiac arrest but ultimately passed away.

The police urgently arrested a male classmate in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, based on CCTV footage near the crime scene. It is known that Mr. A had been drinking with the victim until shortly before her death. The CCTV reportedly captured Mr. A supporting the victim as they entered a school building around 1:30 a.m. on the day of the incident. It was confirmed that no other companions were present in the school building at the time of the crime. Based on this, the police determined that Mr. A had criminal charges while investigating him as a witness.

The police are investigating the specific circumstances and motives of the crime. Additionally, on the 16th, they applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. A. The pre-trial detention hearing for Mr. A is scheduled to be held at the Incheon District Court at around 2 p.m. on the 17th.

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