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| Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Hae-chan, right, issues an apology to the people over the sexual harassment allegations involving the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan apologized to the people, Wednesday, for the sexual harassment allegations made against the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, and expressed his sympathies to the alleged victim.
He promised to come up with "special countermeasures" soon to stop inappropriate conduct by DPK members elected as government officials, including the creation of a body to review claims of misbehavior made against them, and to revise party regulations enhancing education on "gender sensitivity."
The belated apology came as the ruling camp is facing an intensifying backlash for its leniency toward Park as well as a series of #MeToo scandals involving other local government heads who were party members. Park was the third high-profile DPK member accused of sexual harassment after former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don resigned in April over similar accusations and An Hee-jung who stepped down as governor of South Chungcheong Province in 2018 after his secretary disclosed his sexual abuse.
Park, the capital's longest-serving mayor, was found dead on a mountain in an apparent suicide last Friday, after a criminal complaint alleging sexual harassment was filed against him by his former secretary two days earlier. Police closed the case against Park following his death.
However, the public as well as the opposition parties are increasing their demands for an investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations raised against Park, who was previously a lawyer defending human rights and women's rights.
"Two local government heads who belonged to our party have resigned over alleged sexual harassment and I feel responsible for disappointing the people and for the administrative vacuum. I am truly sorry," Lee said during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. "I also offer words of consolation. I, as the DPK leader, again apologize for this situation."
Lee also urged the Seoul Metropolitan Government to clarify the allegations according to the victim's demands, while calling on people to stop their groundless accusations against her and using the case as a political issue.
About an hour later, the city government announced a plan to launch an investigation into the claims.
The apology was the party chief's second after he issued one through DPK spokesman Kang Hoon-sik, Monday, something he was criticized for, as it was indirect.
Amid growing concerns within the party that the series of cases of "disgraceful misconduct" by DPK bigwigs, accompanied by the party's lackadaisical response, could accelerate a decline in the party's approval rating, its own members have called for a thorough investigation into the scandal involving the last Seoul mayor.
"I feel a heavy responsibility, as the chief of the party's taskforce on gender violence, for the series of sexual scandals. I convey words of sympathy and apologies to the victim," Rep. Nam In-soon, a Supreme Council member, also said Wednesday.
Nam, a close aide to Park, was one of the DPK's 30 female lawmakers to call for an investigation into the allegations, Tuesday.
Rep. Kim Du-kwan, a fellow DPK lawmaker, also said, "We need to make painstaking efforts to root out misconduct from local governments headed by our party members."
Kim Boo-kyum, a former four-term lawmaker who is now in the party leadership race, also raised the need to fact-check the allegations by Seoul City, while his rival in the race, Rep. Lee Nak-yon, urged the city government and the police to protect the alleged victim, adding the party will cooperate in finding the truth.
According to a public survey conducted by Realmeter of 1,000 people aged 18 and over, 64.4 percent of the respondents said it was necessary to investigate the allegations, while 29.1 percent were against such a move.
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