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Kim Jae-ryun, an attorney representing the former secretary of late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, speaks during a press conference regarding her client’s accusations of sexual harassment against Park on July 13. (Lee Jeong-a, staff photographer)

Legal representatives of the accuser alleging sexual misconduct by late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon joined women’s rights groups in a July 13 press conference to call for an investigation into what they described as a “typical example of the abuse of power to commit sexual harassment.”

In a statement read on her behalf at the press conference, the former secretary said, “I wanted to be protected fairly and equally by the law to preserve myself as someone powerless and vulnerable in the face of great authority. I wanted a trial according to the law in the Republic of Korea as a country governed by law and order, and I wanted a personal apology.”

An objective determination of the facts in cases of sexual abuse is essential to re-establish the former secretary’s human rights and facilitate her return to ordinary life. It’s also vital to develop measures to prevent similar episodes from happening again. This is all the more true in cases like the present one, where all sorts of speculation and distortions are circulating around the facts of the case. It is also an unavoidable part of accurately establishing Park’s legacy for better and for worse, and for carrying on his efforts to uphold gender equality and protect the vulnerable.

The fact that the accused perpetrator Park is no longer with us poses inevitable constraints on an attempt to determine the truth through criminal procedures. The former secretary’s legal team has said that the police have apparently determined the facts of the case through questioning of the accuser and witnesses. They have asked the police to state their position on the case on that basis. According to the law, the case has to be treated as “without arraignment rights,” which means that the police are unlikely to state any separate position.

But there are ways of figuring out the facts as much as possible. One of them, which was proposed by the secretary’s team, would be for the city of Seoul to set up an investigation group to look into the allegations. The fact that the accuser has spoken about informing her fellow government employees of the abuses and requesting a change of departments also offers an avenue to verifying the truth objective. The South Korean government and National Assembly may also choose to launch an investigation under a suitable approach. That role could be played by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, which the accuser has petitioned. It is important to select an investigation body that can guarantee objectivity and trust.

Also in need of investigation are the secretary’s claims that she asked for help from Seoul city officials before filing her complaint, but that her appeals were ignored. The fact that so many “Me Too” allegations have involved local government heads suggests a need for structural changes in local governments to monitor abuses of power and prevent sexual harassment. It should also be investigated whether the city of Seoul received inappropriate reports on the investigation situation on the day of the accusation.

The former secretary has reportedly been under police protection since shortly after her complaint against Park on July 8. Her legal team said that she had made a complaint to police that day about secondary victimization both online and offline. Acts of mental and physical harm against someone who reports sexual harassment are unacceptable crimes that must be sternly punished. At the same time, steps should also be taken to ensure that the dignity of Park and his surviving family are not unfairly infringed upon during the investigation process.

Park’s five-day public funeral is now over, and with the secretary’s team making their demands public, the time has now come to determine the truth. We must set aside our emotions -- grief as well as denunciation -- and objectively confront the facts.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]