Seoul mayor’s death prompts sympathy as well as questions over his behaviour
Park Won-soon was found dead on a wooded hill early on Friday amid reported allegations of sexual harassment.
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The death of Seoul’s mayor, reportedly implicated in a sexual harassment complaint, prompted an outpouring of public sympathy even as it raised questions about him.
Park Won-soon was found dead on a wooded hill in northern Seoul early on Friday about seven hours after his daughter reported to police he had left her a “will-like” verbal message and then left their home.
Authorities launched a huge search for the 64-year-old Park before rescue dogs found his body.
Police said there was no sign of foul play at the site, although they refused to disclose the cause of death.
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On Friday morning, Seoul officials said they were releasing what they called Mr Park’s will, found at his residence, at the request of his family.
“I feel sorry to everyone – I thank everyone who has been with me in my life,” the note shown on TV said.
It continued with a request his remains be cremated and scattered around his parents’ graves.
As a former human rights lawyer, Mr Park led two of South Korea’s most influential civic groups and was mayor of Seoul since 2011.
He was widely considered a leading liberal candidate for president when his political ally and current president Moon Jae-in’s single five-year term ends in 2022.
His supporters wailed and shouted slogans like “we love you” and “we are sorry” when his body arrived at a Seoul hospital.
Mr Park’s name was the most popular search word on main internet portal sites and condolence messages flooded social media.
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Sentiment against Mr Park also erupted amid media reports one of his female secretaries had lodged a complaint with police on Wednesday night over alleged sexual harassment over an extend period.
Police only confirmed a complaint against Mr Park had been filed but cited privacy issues in refusing to elaborate, including about whether the complaint was about sexual behaviour.
Some critics questioned the image of a man who had portrayed himself as “a feminist mayor” dedicated to gender equality and a vocal supporter of the MeToo movement.
During his days as a human rights lawyer, Mr Park won South Korea’s first sexual harassment conviction in 1998, following a long legal battle in which he represented a Seoul National University research assistant who accused a professor of making sexual advances and firing her after she rejected them.
As mayor, he appointed a special adviser on gender equality issues and introduced policies aimed at designing safer urban environments for women and providing affordable housing for working single women.
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A stream of politicians affiliated with the governing Democratic Party and senior presidential officials visited a private mourning site at Seoul National University Hospital.
Media photos showed sympathy flowers bearing President Moon Jae-in’s name placed there.
Presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min told reporters at the hospital that Mr Moon called Mr Park’s death “very shocking,” Yonhap news agency reported.
When Lee Hae-chan, the Democratic Party chief, confronted journalists there, one asked him how the harassment allegations should be handled.
Mr Lee scolded the journalist for asking a “rude” question that he said should not be raised in that place.