Asan City Policy Advisor Resigns Three Days After Secondary Victimization Controversy

Controversy Spreads Following Exclusive Report by The Asia Business Daily
Kim Ji-eun: "Politics Has Once Again Summoned the Victim"
Women's Group Urges Mayor Oh Sehyun to Immediately Suspend and Dismiss Policy Advisor"

The policy advisor to the mayor of Asan City, Chungcheongnam-do, identified as Mr. A, who was embroiled in controversy over secondary victimization related to a sexual violence case, submitted his resignation on the 29th.

This comes just three days after The Asia Business Daily's exclusive report on the 26th sparked the controversy. Analysts say that the decisive factor was the series of public criticisms from the victim and women's organizations.

Mr. A, who serves as the Policy and Public Relations Advisor to Asan Mayor Oh Sehyun, informed reporters via text message on this day, stating, "I have submitted my resignation," and added, "The resignation will be processed according to administrative procedures."

The controversy began when The Asia Business Daily exclusively reported that Asan Mayor Oh Sehyun had appointed Mr. A-who had been convicted of defamation and insult against a sexual violence victim-as a policy advisor. Immediately after the report, Kim Ji-eun, the victim in the sexual violence case involving former Chungcheongnam-do Governor Ahn Hee-jung, issued a statement, and the Korean Women’s Political Network released a statement, further fueling criticism.

Kim Ji-eun strongly criticized the appointment on her social media, saying, "Politics has once again summoned an unhealed wound," and described it as "an appointment that disregards the suffering of the victim."

She further stated, "The victim's experience should not be erased simply because the legal judgment has concluded."

The Korean Women’s Political Network also issued a statement, urging, "Asan Mayor Oh Sehyun should immediately suspend and dismiss the policy advisor who has been definitively convicted as a secondary perpetrator of sexual violence."

As the controversy spread, Mr. A released a statement on the same day, saying, "I have fulfilled all civil and criminal responsibilities for my past crimes," but added, "After my resignation, I will seek the rights guaranteed by the Constitution as a private citizen."