Funeral For The Mayor Of Seoul Park Won-soon Does Not Bury His Sexual Harassment Allegations

JAKARTA - Friends, family, and colleagues attended the funeral of Park Won-soon, the mayor of Seoul who was found dead after being reported missing. Park Won-soon is the most prominent official in South Korea (South Korea). Her death left a complex legacy of allegations of sexual harassment.

Launching Reuters, Monday, July 13, Park Won-soon was found dead on Friday, July 10. She leaves a message of thanks and apologizes to everyone. The police said there was no sign of mistreatment, although they refused to provide detailed information about Park Won-soon's death.

The funeral process was broadcast by the Seoul City Government at City Hall. People who attend in person are also limited to around one hundred people, preventing transmission of COVID-19. Despite the heavy rain, residents gathered near the City Hall and where the bodies were cremated.

"The period of mourning is not an exception in this case. Now is the time to mourn," said Paik Nak-chung, a literary critic who led the funeral.

In front of City Hall, a man drew attention to the allegations of sexual harassment attributed to the deceased. The man threw taunts and complaints from supporters. The action was broadcast by local media.

As the longest running mayor in Seoul, a city of nearly 10 million people since 2011, Park Won-soon has played an important role in dealing with COVID-19. An advocate for women's rights and gender equality has even raised Park Won-soon's name as a potential presidential candidate for liberals in the 2022 election.

Previously, a petition had been submitted to the Blue House. The petition calls for Park Won-soon's final tribute event to be canceled due to allegations of sexual harassment. The petition was signed by more than 560 thousand people. However, on Sunday, July 12, the authorities rejected the activist group's efforts to stop the event.

Park Won-soon's death came days after a woman who was Park Won-soon's former secretary filed a complaint. The complaint claims Park Won-soon sexually harassed her. Police are encouraged to carry out investigations.

A lawyer and human rights activist who accompanied the former secretary said the 64-year-old mayor had repeatedly made unwanted physical contact. Park Won-soon is also said to often send photos of himself in underwear accompanied by text messages that are called terrible.

"The vigorous act of sexual harassment continued for four years, even after she moved to a different position ... This is a case that has a victim and cannot be covered up by her death," said Lee Mi-kyoung, one of the women's rights activists. .

Lee Mi-kyoung also said the former secretary had reported the case, but was ignored. A city spokesman said the reports had not been verified and no investigation was planned.