Sejong Women's Groups Target Sang Byunheon of Democratic Party: "Unfit for Elected Office"

Strong Call for the Eradication of Sexual Violence Among Public Officials

The Sejong Emergency Response Committee for the Eradication of Sexual Violence, which is a coalition of nine civic organizations in Sejong, issued a strongly worded statement on July 28, sharply criticizing Sang Byunheon, a Sejong City Council member from the Democratic Party of Korea.

The committee stated, "Sang Byunheon, a Sejong City Council member, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison in the first trial on charges of sexually assaulting a fellow male council member after a drinking gathering in August 2022," and added, "If it had not been for the victim's courageous report, this incident would never have come to light."

They further emphasized, "We do not see this incident as an individual's deviance. It is a structural sexual violence case, created by the persistent lack of gender sensitivity throughout the public sector, the silence and evasion that occur within power dynamics, and the prevailing practices of prioritizing the protection of organizations and individuals over the protection of victims."

In particular, they recalled that the fact a former chairperson of the Sejong City Council, such as Sang Byunheon, committed sexual violence against a colleague, is not merely a personal wrongdoing but a symbolic event that demonstrates the collapse of ethics and responsibility within the public sector.

They pointed out that Sang Byunheon not only failed to apologize to the victim but also denied the charges and consistently evaded responsibility, which they described as a textbook example of secondary victimization.

They expressed solidarity and support for the victim, acknowledging the pain, loneliness, and long legal battle the victim endured without giving up, and for ultimately revealing the truth.

The Emergency Response Committee for the Eradication of Sexual Violence called for: ▲ Sang Byunheon to humbly accept the court's guilty verdict and immediately resign from his council position ▲ Sejong City Council to clearly state its official stance on this incident ▲ the immediate activation of the Special Ethics Committee ▲ and the implementation of effective institutional reforms, including enhanced gender sensitivity training, to prevent recurrence.

Furthermore, the Democratic Party of Korea's Sejong branch was urged to issue an official apology regarding the incident involving its member, and to establish stricter party-level ethical standards and measures to eradicate sexual violence in order to prevent recurrence.