Park Won-soon's death comes with sexual harassment allegations after being held by the most influential South Korean figures.
He was seen as a potential candidate for the presidency, however, on July last year, even before he could face the court for sexual harassment allegations, Seoul's mayor died.
Park's death came just a day after the Secretary made a police report about his actions. A petition was signed by more than 500,000 people stating that Park Won-soon state-run five-day funeral should not go ahead.
Lee Eun Kyung, who was on the panel of judges chairing the first-ever sexual harassment case in Korea won by Park Won-soon, was at her Seoul office on Aug. 3.
Lee Eun Kyung recalls Park Won-soon from his job, starting in 1993, calling for the first-ever sexual harassment case in South Korea. Lee was on the panel of judges which first presided over the case, and Park was the woman's legal team's star lawyer. He helped gain a conviction in 1999 after six years of pro-bono work, also a first for the region.
As a civil rights lawyer, Park's high-profile record helped propel him into public life. In 2011, he was elected Seoul mayor and was a leading candidate in 2022 to run for president. Until Jul. 10, when his body was found in Seoul's mountains, Park Won Soon was widely seen as a champion of women's rights.
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Accusation to the Mayor
His former Secretary had lodged a police complaint two days ago, alleging he had sexually assaulted her for four years. The apparent suicide of Park and the charges against him have bitterly divided Korea, which must confront the awkward questions behind the shining legacy of one of the most influential men in the world.
At a press conference called jointly with influential women's groups, her lawyer said that the mayor had sexually kissed her in the bedroom attached to his office, submitted photos of himself in his underwear, and asked for pictures of her.
Her allegations that he used his positions to continue to exploit here are alarming. She claims she was assigned to wake the mayor from his naps because she was told that a female secretary would be less annoyed. In a written statement, her representatives said, "The nature of the secretary's job was to keep the mayor happy."
According to the woman, the mayor sent pictures of himself in his underwear and called her into his office bedroom, asking to hug him. The woman said that she wondered Seoul City Hall for support but was ignored. She said that even though she moved offices, the sexual harassment persisted.
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Police Reports to the Allegations
The study found that, before and after he showered, the alleged perpetrator, who was working as Park's assistant, was forced to take care of intimate aspects of his life, including handling his undergarments. Witnesses also testified that Park Won-soon gave the alleged victim "inappropriate texts and photos" Secretary's attorney Kim Jae-ryon said last year that Park had sent her photographs of himself in his underwear, as well as lewd, late-night messages via the Telegram encrypted app.
Ultimately, the commission found that the alleged victim's allegations against Park were plausible based on facts and witness testimony.
