Suspicions of Downplaying and Concealing the Incident
Initial Apology Statement Written on Two Pages of A4 Paper
Explanation: "Mistook Her for a Bar Employee"
A member of the Yesan County Council, who was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) molesting a woman in a bar hallway, has issued an official apology in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. Initially, he denied the incident, claiming "nothing like that happened," but after the story broke, he admitted to it and delivered an apology statement.
On September 23, Yonhap News Agency reported that Hong Jongpyo, a Yesan County Council member from the People Power Party, had molested a woman in a bar hallway. The report also stated that the victim is suffering from psychological trauma and is preparing to file a police report.
According to CCTV footage released by a local resident that day, at around 11:30 p.m. on September 19, two men were being led to a room by the bar owner in a hallway of a bar in Hongseong County, Chungcheongnam-do. While walking and looking at his phone, Councilman Hong glanced at a woman standing to the side of the hallway and suddenly touched a specific part of her body with his hand. The woman immediately resisted, but Councilman Hong reportedly entered the room as if nothing had happened.
It was later confirmed that the victim was the daughter of the bar owner and was at the establishment temporarily to help her parents. After the incident, the victim protested, but Councilman Hong did not apologize; instead, another man who was with him apologized on his behalf.
The following day, when an acquaintance of the victim raised the issue again, Councilman Hong wrote a two-page apology on A4 paper, took a photo of it, and sent it via text message. According to the victim's acquaintance, the apology included an explanation that he "mistook her for a bar employee," and there were suspicions that he tried to downplay and conceal the incident by asking, "Please keep this from spreading."
The victim's acquaintance stated, "Since the incident, the victim has been under severe stress, startled even by the sight of unfamiliar men," and criticized, "The perpetrator is more concerned with covering up the incident than offering a genuine apology."
As the incident gained public attention, Councilman Hong delivered an apology statement. He said, "I do not take lightly the emotional harm I have caused due to my wrongdoing, and I will deeply reflect to ensure that such an incident never happens again." He continued, "As a council member and as a fellow resident, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for betraying your trust, and I sincerely apologize to both the residents and the victim."
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