Grope allegation: Christian body criticizes ex-prosecutor amid #MeToo
Former prosecutor Ahn Tae-geun / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
A liberal Christian organization has criticized a former prosecutor who is accused of sexually harassing a junior female prosecutor.
The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) criticized Ahn Tae-geun, whom prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun recently accused of groping her waist and hips in front of many people, including other prosecutors, eight years ago.
The NCCK’s statement came after Seo’s interview with JTBC on Monday. She said one of the reasons she decided to raise the issue was Ahn’s church testimony, in which he claimed to have repented his faults during his career at the prosecution.
Ahn resigned last year following disclosures that he and Lee Young-ryeol, former head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, exchanged suspicious money envelopes over a dinner table. It is unclear whether Ahn meant the alleged sexual harassment as well when he mentioned “repentance.”
“His testimony is an insult to all Korean churches,” the NCCK said Wednesday. “Ahn should meet the victim(s) and ask for forgiveness.”
The NCCK urged the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution to get to the bottom of the alleged crime. It also commended Seo’s courage to speak out, which many call the beginning of the global #MeToo movement in Korea.
The Onnuri Community Church, where Ahn gave his testimony, also said on Facebook that it will encourage him to ask for forgiveness from the victim(s) if he really is the perpetrator of the crime.