"Sorry for the concern... I will not run in this election"
Hyun Geun-taek, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute and considered a 'pro-Lee Myung-bak faction' figure, declared he will not run in the general election following a sexual harassment controversy. This announcement came about three hours after Lim Hyuk-baek, chairman of the Democratic Party’s nomination management committee, stated his intention to take strict action regarding the series of incidents.
On the 16th, Deputy Director Hyun posted on his Facebook, "I apologize for causing concern to the party and the public," and added, "I will not run in this election." He further stated, "My challenge ends here," and "I was able to come this far thanks to the encouragement of party members and supporters."
Deputy Director Hyun had been preparing to run in Seongnam Jungwon District, the constituency of Representative Yoon Young-chan, who is classified as part of the non-Lee Myung-bak faction. However, controversy arose after it was revealed that in late December last year, at a bar in Seongnam, he made sexually harassing remarks such as "Are you a married couple?" and "Do you live together?" toward a female aide of a local politician. After the incident surfaced, Hyun expressed his intention to apologize to the victim, but criticism intensified as the victim reported experiencing secondary harm.
Subsequently, a settlement document written by the local politician whom both Hyun and the victim served was made public. However, since the document was created without the victim’s consent, the controversy deepened. Moreover, the victim’s real name was included in the document, leading to further accusations of secondary harm. In response, Deputy Director Hyun clarified that the document was not a finalized agreement, but the victim’s side expressed, "It is truly bitter to feel victimized once again."
Screenshot from Hyun Geun-taek, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute's Facebook page
Following the incident, party leader Lee Jae-myung ordered the party’s ethics inspection team to conduct a fact-finding investigation. Later that day, Lim Hyuk-baek, chairman of the Democratic Party’s nomination management committee, stated, "As chairman of the Democratic Party’s nomination committee, I will respond firmly and strictly to the series of issues concerning Hyun Geun-taek, the prospective candidate for Seongnam Jungwon District."
Meanwhile, as pro-Lee Myung-bak faction figures preparing to run in the general election have been repeatedly embroiled in sexual misconduct controversies, negative impacts on the Democratic Party’s election preparations are expected. Previously, Kang Wi-won, a special advisor to the party leader, withdrew his candidacy voluntarily after a sexual assault controversy during the candidate verification process. Following this, Deputy Director Hyun also declared he would not run in the general election, while former Representative Jeong Bong-ju continues to resist calls to abandon his candidacy.
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