People Power Party Deputy Spokesperson:
"There Are No Exceptions to the Principles of Public Service"
Calls for Withdrawal of Appointment and Public Apology
The People Power Party criticized Oh Se-hyun, Mayor of Asan City, South Chungcheong Province, for appointing an individual implicated as a secondary perpetrator in the sexual violence case involving former South Chungcheong Governor Ahn Hee-jung as a policy advisor.
Min Tae Kim, Deputy Spokesperson of the People Power Party Central Committee, described the appointment as "a decision that blatantly defies common sense and the principles of public office," demanding its immediate withdrawal and a public apology.
On December 26, through his social media, Deputy Spokesperson Kim stated, "If the mayor has appointed someone who inflicted secondary harm on a victim of sexual violence as a policy advisor, it is, in itself, an affront to the citizens."
He pointed out, "A policy advisor is a key position responsible for designing and coordinating the mayor's policy messages and the direction of municipal administration," adding, "This appointment starkly reveals the extent to which Mayor Oh Se-hyun's sensitivity to human rights, personnel standards, and public office ethics have collapsed."
Previously, The Asia Business Daily reported that Mayor Oh had appointed Mr. A, who had a history of repeatedly posting abusive language and malicious comments targeting victim Kim Ji-eun in connection with the sexual violence case involving former Governor Ahn Hee-jung, as a policy advisor.
The advisor in question holds a position equivalent to grade 5, a senior executive role that is central to the overall management of city administration.
Deputy Spokesperson Kim also raised concerns regarding Mayor Oh's response to media inquiries about the matter, in which the mayor replied that "it is difficult due to circumstances."
He characterized this as "an evasion of responsibility," pointing out, "That single remark sounds like a declaration that protecting one's own people takes precedence over safeguarding the victim."
He further emphasized, "There can be no exceptions such as 'circumstances' when it comes to the principles of public office."
Deputy Spokesperson Kim formally called on Mayor Oh to immediately withdraw the appointment and issue a public apology in the mayor's name, stressing, "If the mayor continues to resist, this issue will no longer be about the advisor as an individual, but will become a matter of the mayor's own qualifications for office."
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