Ogodon's Side Claims "Dementia and Accidental Surprise Assault"... Victim Says "Sudden Dementia? It's Devastating"

Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, who was indicted on charges of forced molestation causing injury, is attending the first trial held at the Busan District Court on the morning of the 1st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] The victim of former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don’s sexual assault case strongly opposed the former mayor’s side’s claims at the sentencing hearing that the assault was impulsive and sudden, and that he was suffering from dementia. The victim said, "Until just before the incident, he was boasting about his stamina by saying, 'I will do up to N times even if the law has to be changed,' and doing push-ups, so did he suddenly develop dementia after the incident?"

Victim A stated in a position paper released on the 21st, "Your claim means that the mayor, who is the leader of 3.5 million Busan citizens, was a dementia patient, and that the Democratic Party nominated a dementia patient for the mayoral position of South Korea’s second-largest city. It is truly disheartening," she said.

A said, "You say you admitted all the crimes and resigned cleanly, and 'please show leniency because you met all the victim’s demands,' but speak properly. When I received a call from one of your unknown associates and said I would expose everything to the media if you did not resign immediately, you hurriedly packed and fled, embarrassed by the shame that would follow, didn’t you?" she pointed out.

She questioned, "Why did you call me on the weekend evening two days before the incident for something unrelated to my work, and why did you specifically call me on the day of the incident when anyone could have done it? Your attitude of mocking the judiciary and Busan citizens with lies that would be exposed in one second?are you really proud of yourself?"

A said, "You once said all the victim’s statements were true, so why does your testimony change every time it is disadvantageous to you?" and claimed, "The reason I cannot live without psychiatric treatment and medication is 100 percent because of the forced molestation that day."

She then sharply criticized, "Stop making claims like you could not have predicted the injury, or that the injury until May right after the incident was your fault but the subsequent mental damage is unrelated to you."

A said, "I never think the tears shed in today’s trial are tears of remorse," and emphasized, "You are the one who 'made 50 years of public service go to waste at the end.' If you truly do not mind anything to help the victim recover to normal life, just admit all your crimes and accept the proper punishment. I have no intention of settling, so do not even try."

Finally, A concluded, "I want to return to a daily life where I can go to work and come home without having to write such statements. I sincerely thank everyone who has supported me from the bottom of my heart."

Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, who was indicted on charges of forced molestation causing injury, is entering the courtroom at Busan District Court in Yeonje-gu, Busan, on the morning of the 21st to attend the second sentencing hearing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the prosecution requested the court to sentence former Mayor Oh to seven years in prison at the sentencing hearing held at the Busan District Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judge Ryu Seung-woo). They also requested that he complete a sexual violence treatment program, disclose his personal information, and be banned from working at child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled for five years.

The prosecution argued that based on the victim’s testimony and evidence, charges of forced molestation, attempted forced molestation, forced molestation causing injury, and false accusation were recognized. They stated, "The crimes against two victims are similar and cannot be seen as one-time or impulsive but are power-based sexual crimes. The resignation caused a gap in Busan’s administration and led to a costly by-election, and the victims have not yet been able to return to their daily lives due to the shock."

The former mayor’s side denied the charge of forced molestation causing injury at the sentencing hearing held that day, claiming, "This incident should be seen as a one-time and impulsive sudden molestation." They also disclosed that former Mayor Oh is receiving treatment for mild dementia symptoms.