Maestro Chung may quit Seoul Phil.

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun speaks during a rehearsal at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Kwon Ji-youn

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun slammed CEO Park Hyun-jung for her mistreatment of subordinates and threatened to quit if the matter is not addressed.

The prominent conductor told reporters and orchestra members ahead of an SPO practice Wednesday that he had been aware of Park’s alleged wrongdoings for more than a year, and had no choice but to report them to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.

“Park’s behavior borders on a violation of human rights, and this kind of inhumane treatment of employees is unacceptable,” Chung said. “When an employee goes to see her, she screams at him or her for hours, they told me.”

Chung stressed that he had hoped to deal with such concerns in a discreet manner, but Park’s press conference on Dec. 5 ― at which she spent more than an hour disclosing a number of Chung’s alleged offenses during his time as music director of the SPO ― had crossed the line.

Chung said that when employees began to quit one by one, he told Mayor Park that he too will pull out if matters are not soon resolved.

“I couldn’t stand watching these people suffer. I needed to help them,” he said. “So I took matters into my own hands. Six weeks ago, I told Mayor Park that I would quit if this isn’t handled.”

Chung said that when he first met Park, she seemed like an intelligent and hard-working CEO.

“But I couldn’t stand there and watch her treat her subordinates like that, whether or not they were good at their job,” he added.

Finally, Chung denied Park’s claims that he had run the SPO like a private organization or that he had abused his authority, and added that if he was at fault, the investigation would undoubtedly bring it to light.

Chung’s rebuttal comes six days after Park’s press conference, where she also denied allegations that she had mistreated her employees and claimed that Chung is behind their request for her resignation. At the SPO practice room on Dec. 5, she stressed that some of her abusive remarks had been contextually misplaced so as to suggest sexual harassment or debasement that hadn’t occurred.

This marked Park’s response to a press release that 17 members of the SPO’s administrative department issued on Dec. 2 requesting the CEO’s removal and an internal investigation into her conduct.

The SPO refused to comment on Chung’s remarks Thursday, and said it will no longer be representing either Park or Chung.

“The CEO and music director will hold individual interviews,” an SPO official said. “We will not be issuing press releases or announcing official stances on any further remarks.”

The SPO board of directors will decide on Park’s removal as soon as the results of the audit are announced, which is expected sometime next week.

If the allegations of the employees turn out to be accurate, the board will call into question Park’s failure to carry out her duties as CEO and tarnishing the SPO’s reputation, and will request that she be dismissed. Chung is expected to renew his contract with the SPO.

Meanwhile, Chung and the SPO are set to perform with cellist Jian Wang at the Seoul Arts Center tonight.

Follow Kwon Ji-youn on Twitter @jennajykwon