"Was He Really Such a Terrible Person?" 'Park Won-soon Praise'... Why Does Im Jong-seok Feel That Way?

Im Jong-seok "Park Won-soon, the Most Honest Public Official" Controversy Over Secondary Harm
Expert "Shows Supporters' Rallying and Presidential Election Intentions"

Former Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] With the Seoul mayoral by-election, held due to the tragic death of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, just two weeks away, former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok's remarks defending Park have caused a significant stir.

Despite the ruling party's requests to "refrain" and widespread criticism, Im continues his daily "praise of Park Won-soon," prompting puzzled reactions. Experts analyze this as a move with the next presidential election in mind.

On the 23rd, Im posted on his Facebook, "Was Park Won-soon really such a terrible person? I hope his passion is not buried along with him," sparking controversy over secondary victimization of the sexual harassment victim.

Im also praised the late mayor, saying, "If integrity is still an important ethic for public officials, Park Won-soon was the most honest public official I know," and described him as "a stingy public official who never ate hotel meals, never wore a sharp suit, and left more than half of his business expenses unused."

As Im's remarks became known, criticism poured in from both inside and outside the political sphere. Ahead of the election, Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, said in an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' "Because the female victim's wounds have not yet healed, I think it would be better to refrain from remarks that touch on such wounds," and firmly added, "I hope such things will not happen again."

On the morning of the 17th, a seat was prepared for the victim of the late Park Won-soon sexual violence case at the press conference titled "Speaking Together with the Victims of the Seoul Mayor's Sexual Violence Case," held at a hotel in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

However, despite such criticism, on the 24th, Im once again emphasized Park's achievements, saying, "During the terms of former Seoul Mayors Lee Myung-bak and Oh Se-hoon, speed and efficiency were emphasized, whereas during Park Won-soon's term, safety and welfare stood out."

He then listed Park's career, stressing, "There are many critical views on Mayor Park Won-soon's administration. However, Park's election is evidence that the thoughts of Seoul citizens have changed." He added, "At this point, holding an election again amid pain and confusion, reflection and evaluation of these issues must also take place."

Among citizens, voices of criticism poured out. Netizens expressed anger with comments such as, "Have they forgotten why the Seoul mayoral election is being held?", "Abnormality has become normal, and fairness and social ethics seem to be reversed," "Only their own side is justice, clean, and without fault," and "I cannot understand how such remarks can be made at this time."

In particular, it is difficult to accept that such remarks came out barely a week after the sexual harassment victim of the late mayor appealed for responsible action from the Democratic Party and expressed her pain on the 17th.

Some interpret Im's remarks as an attempt to rally his support base ahead of the election. However, criticism remains that such behavior, which shamelessly causes secondary harm to the victim for political purposes, is unacceptable.

Experts analyze Im's remarks as aimed at consolidating the pro-Moon Jae-in (친문, Chinmun) support base and preparing for the next presidential election. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "While election campaigning is important, it seems more like Im is making these remarks to gain support from pro-Roh and pro-Moon factions. It can be seen as a statement revealing his strong intention to run in the presidential election."

He continued, "There are many critics of the Moon Jae-in administration even among progressive supporters due to issues like the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal. In this situation, Im delivered a noticeable message to stimulate and unite his support base. However, as a result, it will cause moderate voters to defect, negatively affecting not only the election but also the ruling party," he predicted.