Investigation into 'Park Won-soon Sexual Harassment Allegations' Concludes... Can 'Power-Based Sexual Crimes' Be Eradicated?

Members of the Korean Women’s Political Network held a press conference on September 28 in front of Seoul City Hall to submit the "Seoul City Public Inquiry" regarding the sexual violence case of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] The investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against the late Park Won-soon, former Mayor of Seoul, has concluded after five months. As the investigation ended without resolving the sexual harassment allegations, public opinion has arisen that the investigation was insufficiently conducted. Given this situation, concerns continue regarding 'power-based sexual crimes' committed by high-ranking officials, including former Mayor Park and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don.

According to media reports on the 31st, the complaint filed on July 8th, the day before former Mayor Park went missing, alleging forced molestation and violation of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (including obscenity via communication media and sexual harassment through workplace authority), will be sent to the prosecution with a non-prosecution opinion (no right to prosecute) due to the death of the accused, former Mayor Park.

Additionally, regarding the charges of aiding forced molestation against seven current and former secretaries, there is insufficient evidence to prove the crime, so these cases will also be sent to the prosecution with a non-prosecution opinion (no charges).

Former Mayor Park, who had previously been accused of sexual harassment and whose close aides were suspected of aiding sexual harassment, was found dead near Bukaksan Mountain on July 10th. In response, the police formed a 'Task Force (TF) dedicated to the Park Won-soon case' on July 16th to investigate the circumstances of his death and related allegations. However, about five months after the investigation began, it ended without resolving the allegations, leading the victim's side to protest that the investigation was not properly conducted.

The victim support group 'Joint Action on Sexual Violence Cases of the Seoul Mayor's Power,' consisting of 289 women's organizations, stated in a press release on the 29th, "The police's non-prosecution result was already anticipated," and argued, "Instead of the expected non-prosecution result, the investigation should have revealed the facts uncovered."

The Joint Action also pointed out, "All warrants were repeatedly dismissed by the courts, so even basic investigations were not properly conducted. The police announcement only mentions the accused, while the victims were erased."

Furthermore, Kim Jae-ryeon, the legal representative of the victim, expressed regret, saying, "We failed to sound the alarm against the wrongful acts of supporters who deny and distort the victim's harm, and I am concerned that this may rather contribute to the ongoing widespread secondary victimization. Regardless of the criminal charges, the police did not disclose even the facts the victim sought to clarify."

This is part of the statement released on the 30th by the "Joint Action on the Seoul Mayor's Power Sexual Violence Case" regarding the sexual harassment allegations against former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Photo by Joint Action on the Seoul Mayor's Power Sexual Violence Case

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Meanwhile, it was revealed on the 30th that former Mayor Park had made several remarks to those around him before his death, seemingly aware of the sexual harassment accusations, such as "This wave seems hard to overcome." According to media reports, on July 9th, Park met with former Secretary Go Han-seok at the official residence and said, "It seems the victim is trying to do something with women's organizations. If it becomes public, I plan to resign as mayor and respond accordingly," and "I expect a complaint will be filed, and it might be made public in the media as soon as today or tomorrow."

In response, the Joint Action stated in a press release on the 30th, "The announcement by the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office today revealed the motive and circumstances of former Mayor Park Won-soon's death, which had not been properly disclosed, organized, or acknowledged until now," and added, "This confirms that the harm the victim sought to reveal indeed existed in reality."

The Joint Action further condemned, "We denounce the acts of concealment and silence not only about the victim and the harm but also about what former Mayor Park himself recognized and admitted. We demand that those responsible apologize to the victim for Park's sexual violence and fulfill their institutional, procedural, legal, social, and political responsibilities."

They emphasized, "During the 176 days since the victim's complaint on July 8th, the massive injustice that was further silenced and concealed has caused horrific secondary harm. Now, start properly from the beginning according to the manuals and guidelines for sexual violence cases."

A representative of the Joint Countermeasure Committee on the Oh Keo-don Sexual Violence Case is holding a one-person relay protest urging the arrest of former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don on the afternoon of the 18th at the Busan District Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan. Photo by Yonhap News

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In related news, the arrest warrant for former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, who is accused of four charges including forced molestation, injury by forced molestation, and false accusation, was dismissed on the 18th.

Oh is accused of forcibly molesting an employee in his office in early April and sexually harassing another employee in 2018. However, Judge Kim Kyung-jin, head of the warrant review at the Busan District Court, stated on that day, "Considering the low risk of evidence destruction and the low risk of flight by the suspect, it is difficult to recognize the necessity of detention," explaining the reason for dismissing the warrant.

This is the second time the prosecution's arrest warrant for former Mayor Oh has been dismissed, following a dismissal in June. After the warrant was dismissed again within six months, women's organizations criticized the investigation into power-based sexual crimes as insufficient and lenient toward the accused.

The 'Joint Countermeasure Committee on the Oh Keo-don Sexual Violence Case,' composed of 290 women's human rights organizations nationwide, including the Busan Sexual Violence Counseling Center, issued a statement that day saying, "The court released Oh Keo-don, a perpetrator of power-based sexual violence, again when it should have set an example to warn society," and added, "Considering the influence of former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, this was an opportunity for the judiciary to protect victims from the perpetrator's power and to publicly declare the seriousness of power-based sexual violence to the public."

Regarding power-based sexual crimes, Seo Seung-hee, director of the Korea Cyber Sexual Violence Response Center, said, "I hope many people become aware and vigilant about the sexual harassment that women routinely face from high-ranking men."

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