Seoul mayor who killed himself accused of sexual harassment by former secretary

The allegations threatened his popularity as a “feminist mayor” and a superior-profile supporter of the country’s #MeToo movement.

The alleged sufferer went general public with her accusations in opposition to the mayor on Monday, speaking by her lawyer. The law firm, Kim Jae-ryon, told reporters that she submitted a sexual harassment complaint towards Park late Wednesday, a day ahead of he canceled his formal timetable and abruptly disappeared.

“The working day I mustered up my courage to submit the criticism and was questioned all night time extensive, the person who wrecked my human dignity ruined his possess,” the former secretary reported in a statement study by her law firm. She did not give her identify to defend her privateness.

“I was foolish, and I am regretful. Sure, I ought to have screamed, cried and claimed him when it to start with took place,” the statement claimed.

Police confirmed final 7 days that a grievance in opposition to Park had been acquired, but they did not provide even further particulars.

Speaking to reporters at Monday’s information conference, Kim explained the alleged target was harassed by the mayor “during the 4 several years she labored as his secretary, and constantly soon after she had moved to a distinct section.”

Park habitually made undesirable sexual developments towards his secretary, the attorney claimed, like by contacting her into his bedroom to check with for a hug and pressing his entire body in opposition to her when having a selfie alongside one another.

Kim also said that Park despatched her client sexually suggestive texts and photographs of himself in underwear by using the encrypted messaging application Telegram. Kim explained the chat data stored on the victim’s cellphone have been submitted to the law enforcement as proof.

A spokeswoman for the Seoul metropolitan governing administration mentioned she could not ensure the allegations and had no immediate comment on the situation. Park’s dying ends any police scrutiny of him, as there is no unique to prosecute. Kim nonetheless called for “a proper investigation to obtain the real truth.”

Park did not make clear why he took his personal existence. “I am sorry to everybody, and I thank everybody who has been with me in my everyday living,” he wrote in a “will” discovered at his residence that was released afterwards on Friday at the request of his family. In the handwritten be aware, he expressed his apologies to his loved ones and questioned that his system be cremated but offered no rationalization.

He would have faced an investigation of the alleged sexual crime, which would have dealt a blow to a vocation developed on governance and advocacy for the underprivileged, minorities and in particular girls.

Prior to getting to be mayor, he worked as a human rights law firm and gained landmark instances on progressive challenges. In 1998, he and a crew of legal professionals gained South Korea’s initial sexual harassment conviction on behalf of a college training assistant, which was recognized with a “Feminist Movement Award” from the country’s top women’s rights groups. At a public chat in 2016, he remembered it as “the most significant court docket case” in his occupation. “It was an prospect of our periods to rightly set up gender equality,” he reported.

In the course of his legal vocation, he was also a potent advocate on behalf of those known as “comfort women,” who ended up forced to get the job done into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during its Planet War II occupation of the Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asian nations.

Park launched influential civic groups and worked to close corruption by the country’s financial and political elites. As mayor, he rolled out progressive procedures on city renewal, the natural environment and reasonably priced housing.

Most just lately, the mayor won praise for the city’s aggressive tactic to containing the novel coronavirus pandemic. He was serving his 3rd term as mayor of the capital and was regarded as a probable presidential prospect for the liberal Democratic Get together in the 2022 election.

His funeral on Monday drew a combination of condolences from citizens mourning the mayor’s loss of life and criticism over his alleged sexual crime.

Far more than 570,000 individuals signed an on line petition to the South Korean President’s Office environment opposing a 5-working day mayoral funeral for Park. Standard South Korean funeral products and services normally acquire put for a few times.

“The sexual harassment allegations will be shut devoid of an investigation due to Mr. Park Won-soon’s loss of life, but are we guaranteed it was an honorable demise?” the petition claimed. It known as for a peaceful spouse and children funeral in location of the extraordinary 5-working day company.