Chinanews, July 22, comprehensive Korean media reported that at 11 a.m. local time on the 22nd, the accuser of the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon involved in sexual harassment convened a press conference again, saying that the Seoul Metropolitan Government was the main body responsible in this case. The prosecutors will not participate in the government-civilian joint truth investigation mission established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, but will complain to the National Human Rights Commission.
On July 10, the official release of Park Won-soon's suicide note stated that "I'm sorry everyone". Photo courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued by China News Service
On July 8, 2020, Park Won-soon’s former female secretary complained to the police of being sexually harassed for many years. On July 9, Park Won-soon disappeared, and the police found his body in the early morning of the 10th. After investigation, the police stated that there was no trace of homicide.
The permanent representative of the Korean Women’s Human Rights Reporting Center, Gao Meijing (transliteration) said, “It has been two weeks since the victim decided to break the silence and tell the truth about his victimization. This time is not short. I was the first reporter. During the meeting, I also read their voices for the victims", "The name of the victim has also returned from the "declared victim" to the "victim"", "The name of the victim represents a kind of procedural justice." .
Lee Mi-kyung (transliteration), director of the Korean Sexual Violence Consultation Office, said that during the four years of working as a secretary, the victim requested a transfer from more than 20 former current secretaries on the grounds of sexual harassment, but the mayor-led position system allowed It is difficult for the staff to speak up. Under the current position system, the authenticity of its internal investigations cannot be guaranteed.
She said that the prosecutor believes that the case should be investigated by an external agency and will formally complain to the South Korean National Human Rights Commission next week.
According to the report, the accuser also expressed concern about the police reporting the accused of sexual harassment to the Presidential Palace Blue House before Park Won-soon's death, and emphasized that the victim should be protected. Regarding whether evidence of sexual harassment will be made public, defense lawyer Jin Zailian (transliteration) said that he has submitted all the evidence to the investigative agency.
According to previous reports, the city of Seoul publicly stated on the 15th that it would set up a joint investigation team involving women’s groups, human rights experts, and legal experts to identify Park Won-soon’s suspicion of sexual harassment. At the same time, priority will be given to the issue of secondary injuries such as physical attacks on victims and the spread of personal information, and the conduct of secondary injuries will be severely punished and held accountable.
The Seoul Regional Police Agency stated on the 17th that a special task force was established to investigate Park Won-soon's case and actively respond to related investigations. The Seoul police stated that "this is to prevent the second injury to the prosecutor and to promptly investigate the laissez-faire and acquiescence of relevant personnel in Seoul."