Joo Ho-young: "Seoul Police Agency Leaked Investigation Secrets... Promptly Transfer to Prosecutors"
Likely to Focus on Allegations at Police Chief Nominee Confirmation Hearing
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The United Future Party is sharply targeting the late Park Won-soon, former Mayor of Seoul, over allegations of sexual harassment by his secretary, while turning its focus on the Blue House and the ruling party. The United Future Party stated that there is evidence suggesting that the investigation status was conveyed from the police leadership and the Blue House to the accused, Park Won-soon, shortly after the victim filed a police complaint on the 8th, and called for a parliamentary-level investigation. The party is also considering forming a task force (TF) for fact-finding at the party level.
On the 14th, Kim Jong-in, the United Future Party’s emergency committee chairman, said at a Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, "The victim filed a complaint with the police, but who conveyed that information to Mayor Park? Did the Blue House provide information to Mayor Park? There must be a clear explanation on this," adding, "The party will also need to scrutinize issues such as the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police."
On the same day, Joo Ho-young, the United Future Party floor leader, said at a floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly, "The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has already become a subject of investigation for leaking investigation secrets. They should immediately stop the investigation related to former Mayor Park and promptly transfer the case to the prosecution," and added, "The prosecution should appoint a special prosecutor or establish a special investigation headquarters to uncover the truth of the sexual harassment case, as well as thoroughly investigate whether the mayor’s secretariat concealed the matter or leaked investigation secrets, and severely punish those responsible." He also pointed out, "According to tips received from insiders at Seoul City Hall, sexual harassment was continuously condoned or covered up at the level of the mayor’s secretariat," emphasizing, "This must be clearly revealed during the investigation process."
Joo Ho-young told reporters the day before, "There are traces that the investigation status of the sexual harassment complaint was reported to higher-ups and then immediately conveyed to the accused through the chain of command." This raises suspicions not only of Park Won-soon’s personal power-related sexual crime but also of an attempt by the regime to protect the three-term ruling party-affiliated Seoul mayor. In response, a key Blue House official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "We received reports from the police about the situation," explaining, "It is naturally required under the secretariat’s organizational structure to report on various incidents and accidents." However, the Blue House clearly denied allegations that it notified Mayor Park of this. Kang Min-seok, Blue House spokesperson, dismissed the claim as "completely groundless" in a text message notice sent the previous afternoon, stating, "The Blue House has never informed (Mayor Park) of the related details."
United Future Party lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee plan to focus on the sexual harassment allegations against former Mayor Park during the confirmation hearing for Kim Chang-ryong, nominee for Commissioner of the National Police Agency, scheduled for the 20th. The party is expected to question not only the facts of the case but also the reporting process to the Blue House and whether investigation status was conveyed to Park’s side.
Within the United Future Party, voices have emerged calling for continued investigation rather than closing the case due to lack of prosecutorial jurisdiction. Kwon Young-se, a United Future Party lawmaker on the Public Administration and Security Committee, said on the 11th, "One side, either the victim or former Mayor Park (or his bereaved family), will suffer tremendous damage if this remains unresolved, and for figures remembered in our society for some time, an accurate evaluation is necessary for future generations," adding, "Compared to the Lee Chun-jae case of the Hwaseong serial murders, there is much greater practical benefit and this is a more exceptional special case, so continued investigation for truth-finding is absolutely necessary."
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