Probe needed over alleged sexual harassment
People bade farewell to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Monday. His sudden death, an apparent suicide, marked the end of a life that had earned him an exceptional reputation as a human rights lawyer, civic activist and top municipal administrator. However, it has triggered a controversy over sexual harassment allegations brougth against him.
Now it appears inevitable for the police and the municipal authorities to conduct an investigation into the allegations because his shocking death is closely related to the alleged sexual misconduct. Park was found dead on Mount Bugak in central Seoul, Friday, two days after one of his former secretaries filed a criminal complaint accusing him of sexual harassment.
Against this backdrop, it is disappointing that the police decided to conclude the case without any investigation because of the death of the accused. In legal terms, law enforcement cannot bring any charges against the dead, making it meaningless to conduct any further investigation. But the Park case is raising a set of questions about why he abruptly committed suicide and why so many people, especially women, are calling for an investigation.
The Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) do not want to get to the bottom of the case. They certainly fear that if the truth were to be revealed, it could deal a setback to their integrity and the moral high ground they claim to hold. Mayor Park was not the first head of a local government to face sexual harassment allegations.
Park became the third following former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don. An resigned in 2018 after his female secretary exposed his sexual abuse, which became one of the biggest #MeToo cases in Korea. He is now serving a prison term of three-and-a-half years. In April this year, Oh stepped down as mayor of the country's second-largest city after admitting that he sexually exploited a female employee.
All the three figures are members of the governing DPK, which explains why the Moon administration ― and his party ― are reluctant to dig up the Park case. But it would be wrong to try and cover up the case just because the Seoul mayor is dead. They should take responsibility for the continuing allegations involving local government heads.
Right after Park's funeral ended Monday afternoon, the alleged harassment victim's lawyer held a press conference together with the representatives of two women's rights groups. The lawyer and the civic group heads detailed how the former secretary suffered sexual harassment from the mayor over four years. They read out her written statement full of pain, frustration and anger about what Park had done to her. They described the case as a typical power-based sexual abuse case, calling for a "proper investigation."
We do not want to denigrate the late Park's lifetime achievements for advocating human rights and women's rights, protecting the underprivileged, and enhancing the welfare of Seoul citizens. Park deserves the benefit of the doubt. But remaining silent and doing nothing on the case is dereliction of duty on the part of the police, City Hall, and the Moon government. They should conduct a thorough and fair investigation to lay bare the truth behind the emerging #MeToo case and prevent a recurrence of sexual harassment.