10 orchestra workers booked for defamation of ex-CEO

By Kwon Ji-youn

Park Hyun-jung

Ten employees of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) were booked Thursday, on suspicion of having falsely accused their former CEO Park Hyun-jung of sexual and verbal abuse, according to the police Thursday.

The ten were among 17 employees of the SPO’s administrative department who issued an anonymous press release in December last year requesting Park’s resignation and an internal audit into her conduct.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), Park filed a petition in December 2014 asking the police to identify the 17 employees behind the press release that detailed her alleged mistreatment of employees during her term as SPO’s chief executive.

Among the 10 booked is an employee surnamed Kwak, who accused Park of sexual assault.

The SMPA requested a warrant for Kwak’s arrest on Wednesday. Baek, the secretary of SPO music director Chung Myung-whun identified only by his last name, will also be summoned for questioning soon.

“The number of SPO employees booked will likely increase as we confirm more identities of the 17 behind the petition for Park’s removal,” an official said.

Three employees of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG)’s human rights center had reportedly advised taking disciplinary action against Park, claiming that they had confirmed the former CEO had abused her employees.

But the SMG’s investigation is said to have been poorly executed.

One SPO employee said during questioning that he had received a text message from Kwak regarding unwanted sexual contact while on a business trip together in September 2013 when the sexual assault is alleged to have taken place, but the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s audit confirmed no SPO employees had been on business trips during that month.

Also, no investigations were made into the accounts of seven Seoul Arts Center employees who were allegedly present.

Park asked for a confrontation with the SPO employees, but this request was denied.