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| Lee Nak-yon, right, former prime minister and a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, offers condolences to former South Chungcheong Governor An Hee-jung, at a memorial altar for An's recently deceased mother at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, Monday. An began serving a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for sexual assault last September, but was temporarily paroled ― from Monday until Thursday ― after his mother passed away. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
President Moon Jae-in and other ruling bloc heavyweights are receiving criticism for offering condolences to former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung whose mother passed away recently.
An has been imprisoned since last September on a three-and-a-half-year sentence for sexually assaulting his former secretary, but correctional authorities paroled him temporarily ― from Monday until Thursday ― so he could attend his mother's funeral.
Some ruling bloc heavyweights visited a memorial altar for his mother, which had been set up at Seoul National University Hospital, Sunday, to offer their condolences, including Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Unification minister nominee Lee In-young, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, National Intelligence Service director nominee Park Jie-won and several ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers such as former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, party leader Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon.
President Moon Jae-in, President Roh Moo-hyun's widow Kwon Yang-sook and National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug sent flowers to the venue.
But critics say such a mass visit of powerful politicians could send the wrong message to the public that they are giving an indulgence to An. They also say it was inappropriate for the President and other politicians to send flowers not as individuals but with their political titles.
The minor liberal Justice Party criticized President Moon and the ruling bloc politicians for their "irresponsible judgment."
"The sexual assault case involving An was a crime committed based on his political power in combination with his superior position to his secretary," Justice Party spokeswoman Jo Hye-min said, Monday. "The victim is still undergoing difficulties with criticism from An's supporters following the Supreme Court ruling. We are concerned if such behavior of the ruling bloc politicians would be seen as solidarity of the political community despite the sexual assault charge,"
An organization of female workers at the National Assembly also said in a commentary, Monday, "An Hee-jung is no longer the governor of South Chungcheong Province. The President and ruling bloc politicians should not have offered condolences under titles of the government or political party in which the cost for the flowers or condolence money came from taxpayer's money."
It further said, "Such offerings could be misunderstood by the public as An returning to politics after his sentence is finished."
An was a presidential contender of the DPK in the primary for the 2017 election, but his political career as a rising star started to fall in 2018 over sexual misconduct allegations amid the rise of the #MeToo movement here.
A year and a half after An's former secretary Kim Ji-eun accused him in March 2018 of raping her while he was the governor, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced him to prison for sexual assault.
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