Accused of Inappropriate Physical Contact at Official Event
Seungcheol Ha (62), Governor of Hadong County in South Gyeongsang Province, has been referred to the prosecution on charges of sexually harassing a female member of the county council.
According to Yonhap News on January 18, the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency recently referred Governor Ha to the prosecution without detention on charges of forcible molestation. Governor Ha is accused of making inappropriate physical contact with Councilwoman A (in her 60s) after the regular general meeting of the Hadong County Women's Association, which was held at the Hadong County Health Center in February last year. Investigations found that after the event, during a handshake with attendees, Governor Ha pulled Councilwoman A's hand and hugged her.
Seven months after the incident, in September last year, Councilwoman A filed a complaint with the police against Governor Ha. Councilwoman A, who belongs to the same political party (People Power Party) as Governor Ha, told the media at the time, "Governor Ha suddenly said, 'Let me give you a hug,' and hugged me, which made me feel humiliated and degraded." She added, "I hesitated to make this issue public because I was concerned that taking legal action could cause internal conflict within the party."
In response, Governor Ha issued a statement asserting, "Councilwoman A's claims are completely false and maliciously intended," and added, "It is known that Councilwoman A attempted to engage in inappropriate dealings by demanding special favors for a specific construction contractor from Hadong County." He further argued, "I believe this accusation was made as an attempt to escape her own predicament, as part of such efforts."
However, based on witness statements from event attendees, the police determined that the hugging incident described by Councilwoman A did occur, and that she subsequently told acquaintances she felt uncomfortable. The police concluded that there was evidence of a crime and referred the case to the prosecution.
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