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On the floor, Park definitely had a formidable resume. The 64-year-old former human rights lawyer had represented the sufferer in the first sexual assault case in South Korean historical past, earlier than a shift to politics noticed him function Seoul mayor for 9 years.
But this week, his legacy was referred to as into query. Local media reported Thursday that Park had himself been accused of sexual harassment, with police later confirming that a grievance had been lodged, though they did not specify the nature of the declare.
Park was reported lacking by his daughter on Thursday night. After a seven-hour search, he was discovered useless on a mountainside close to his official residence, police mentioned in the early hours of Friday.
Officials haven’t revealed how he died — however dominated out foul play.
“I am sorry to everyone,” Park mentioned in a handwritten observe discovered at his Seoul residence that was shared with media Friday. “Thank you for everyone who has been with me in my life. I am sorry to my family for I have only caused them pain.”
A stately profession
Prior to his death, Park was broadly seen as an lively, personable chief. He was half of the group of attorneys to symbolize Kwon In-sook, a college pupil who mentioned she had been sexually assaulted by police in the metropolis of Bucheon in 1986. One officer was convicted.
According to Kwon’s workplace, she was the first lady to convey fees of sexual assault in opposition to authorities.
Park earned a diploma in worldwide legislation at the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London, and was a visiting analysis fellow for the Human Rights Program at Harvard University’s School of Law.
He additionally had an curiosity in activism. As a younger man, he was arrested for rallying in opposition to then-President Park Chung-hee, who many referred to as a army dictator. He based a quantity of organizations, together with the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, which promotes democracy and human rights in South Korea.
Then, in 2011, Park was elected Seoul mayor in a landslide victory. It sparked a public frenzy — he was a political outsider, and his sudden defeat of a candidate from the ruling social gathering was seen as a signal that South Koreans have been drained of conventional politics.
As mayor, Park championed metropolis welfare initiatives and have become a image of reform. He was re-elected in each 2014 and 2018, making him the metropolis’s first elected mayor to serve three phrases, and many citizens even noticed him as a doable presidential candidate when present President Moon Jae-in’s time period finishes in 2022.
Mixed response
Park’s death prompted combined reactions in the South Korean capital. Video on Yonhap, the country’s government-funded information company, confirmed mourners exterior the hospital the place Park’s physique lies crying and shouting “Mayor, you shouldn’t go like this,” and “I love you, Park Won-soon.”
Acting Mayor Seo Jung-hyup, who took over the position following Park’s death, additionally expressed his condolences. “I send my condolences to citizens who must be sad and confused by his sudden death,” he mentioned in a press convention Friday. “The Seoul government should not stop and must keep going strongly, prioritizing safety and welfare following mayor Park Won-soon’s philosophy.”
But others are indignant that a courtroom won’t ever hear the allegations in opposition to Park. Under South Korean legislation, when a suspect dies, open investigations are closed as the prosecutors haven’t any floor to make an indictment.
“What message do you want to send to the public?” the web page says.
In a assertion, a consultant of Park’s household requested the public to point out respect. “If repeated defamation of the deceased Park continues, we will have to take legal measures,” the assertion mentioned.
Bigger image
Park’s death comes as South Korea confronts conventional home perceptions of sexual assault — notably a reckoning in opposition to what some see as a misogynist tradition.
Both Ahn and Oh have been related to the President Moon’s Democratic Party.
How to get assist: In the US, name the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide can also present contact info for disaster facilities round the world.
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