Yoo Si-min's Daughter: "I Was the First to Propose the Term 'Victim-Complainer'; Woman Accusing Park Won-soon Is the 'Victim'"

Photo by Ryoo Hansoojin, captured from Facebook post.

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Yeonju Kim] Ryu Hansoojin (30), daughter of Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and former president of the Seoul National University College of Social Sciences student council, stated on the 16th that she was "the first person to propose the term 'victim complainant'" on the 15th. The term 'victim complainant' refers to the victims who accused the late Park Won-soon, former mayor of Seoul, of sexual harassment, including figures from the ruling party and the Seoul city government, and there have been concerns that it could constitute 'secondary harm.'

Ryu said in a post on her Facebook that "the reason the student council regulation using the term 'victim complainant' was proposed is related to the 2012 Seoul National University Countermeasure Committee incident, which many people are aware of."

According to Ryu, the student council regulation using the term 'victim complainant' was proposed due to the 2012 Seoul National University Countermeasure Committee incident.

At that time, a female student reported her boyfriend to the student council for sexual violence, claiming that he created an oppressive situation by chain-smoking during a conversation. However, Ryu, who was then the president of the College of Social Sciences student council, stated, "This cannot be seen as violence, and the woman is acting emotionally," and resigned from her position, saying, "I may become a secondary perpetrator, but I have no intention to apologize or correct this."

Ryu explained, "Before erasing words, women's solidarity should listen to the voice of the person who spoke, and before men's solidarity borrows words, please listen to the speaker's voice and give it some thought," adding, "The term was not proposed and the regulation was not made to forever confine victims as 'victim complainants' or to lock the victim's accusation as a one-sided claim."

Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, listens to remarks at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 15th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

She continued, "While city authorities or party representatives may use the term 'victim complainant,' it is appropriate to refer to the accuser as a victim as a citizen," and criticized, "Considering the extreme incompetence and male-centered bias that South Korea has consistently shown in solving sexual violence issues, the ambiguous and conservative stance shown by the Democratic Party, and the Seoul city's dismissal of the woman's accusation, it is questionable whether the 'principle' of the (Seoul National University) regulation can even be applied to this issue."

Ryu said, "The principle of not determining the victim or perpetrator before the procedure is introduced on the premise that an objective and fair procedure will be carried out in terms of gender sensitivity," and criticized, "There is no institution anywhere in this case where such a procedure can be expected."

She added, "It is truly regrettable that representatives of official institutions insist on the alternative term 'victim complainant,' as it appears, as conservative media, opposition parties, and commentators say, to nullify the incident itself or at least to mitigate the perpetrator's dishonor," adding, "Regardless of intention, such an effect inevitably occurs to some extent."

The term 'victim complainant' sparked controversy as it repeatedly appeared in statements by Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kang Hoon-sik, chief spokesperson, and female lawmakers. The Seoul city government also referred to the female victim as a 'victim complainant.'