Lee Su-jeong: "Kim Jun-hyuk's Office Sex Crime, Apology Alone Is Not Enough"...Calls for Disclosure of Case Handling Process

Lee Su-jeong, Gyeonggi Province Chair of the People Power Party's Suwon Constituency Committee, called for disclosure of the entire case handling process related to the sex crime incident involving Kim Jun-hyuk, a Democratic Party member from the same constituency and former Grade 4 aide in his office.

Chair Lee held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Hall on the 23rd and criticized Rep. Kim's response, saying "It must be revealed whether the National Assembly Secretariat was notified of the case before accepting the perpetrator's resignation, whether it was referred to the grievance handling process, and whether dismissal was considered."

Previously, the Criminal Division 13 of Suwon District Court sentenced A, a former Grade 4 aide at Rep. Kim's office, to 2 years and 8 months in prison on July 9th for charges including indecent acts through abuse of power and quasi-rape. A has appealed and the second trial is ongoing.

According to the ruling, A is accused of indecent assault and quasi-rape of B, a female intern in her 20s from the same office, at an accommodation facility in Suwon on May 7th last year. It was found that A had portrayed himself as having influence over the victim's hiring and personnel decisions by leveraging his long personal relationship with Rep. Kim.

Chair Lee stated, "The perpetrator was Rep. Kim's middle and high school classmate and former head of the general election campaign headquarters situation room," and asserted, "The basis for the abuse of power recognized by the court was precisely the personal relationship with Rep. Kim."

She particularly raised an issue about the fact that both the victim and perpetrator left the office the day after the incident.

She said, "The victim informed another senior aide of the harm and expressed her intention to resign, and the perpetrator also resigned the same day," and pointed out, "Rep. Kim should have guaranteed the victim's remaining internship period and separated her from the perpetrator to help her recover stability."

Regarding how the perpetrator's resignation was handled, she argued, "There was an option to suspend acceptance of the resignation and request mandatory dismissal through the National Assembly Secretariat's sexual harassment and sexual violence grievance handling procedure."

She continued, "The perpetrator's voluntary resignation was actually considered a favorable sentencing factor in the first trial ruling," and criticized, "The office's acceptance of the resignation ultimately worked in the perpetrator's favor."

Chair Lee also demanded disclosure of whether the case was reported according to the Sexual Violence Prevention Act and whether recurrence prevention measures were submitted. She also raised suspicion that the perpetrator participated in a local election campaign in June after leaving the office and questioned whether Rep. Kim knew about it in advance.

Regarding Rep. Kim's apology issued through SNS on the 22nd, acknowledging responsibility for staff management, Chair Lee said, "It is an apology made only after media reports came out 1 year and 5 months after the incident," and emphasized, "He must reveal what victim protection measures and recurrence prevention plans were put in place during that time."

Finally, Chair Lee demanded that Rep. Kim disclose the circumstances of the perpetrator's appointment and measures taken after the incident, while calling on the Democratic Party central committee and Gyeonggi Province party to conduct party-level investigations and establish recurrence prevention measures.

Chair Lee said, "Sex crime is not a matter of political affiliation," and stated, "It should not end with an individual lawmaker's apology statement."

She also pointed out that Rep. Kim apologized only after media reports 1 year and 5 months after the incident occurred, on the 22nd, and urged, "He must specifically reveal what victim protection measures and recurrence prevention plans were put in place during that time."

She then demanded that Rep. Kim disclose the circumstances of the perpetrator's appointment and measures taken after the incident, while calling on the Democratic Party central committee and Gyeonggi Province party to conduct party-level investigations and establish recurrence prevention measures.

Chair Lee emphasized, "Sex crime is not a matter of political affiliation," and stated, "It should not end with an individual lawmaker's apology statement."

Meanwhile, Rep. Kim stated through his social media on the 22nd, "Regardless of the reasons, I sincerely apologize to voters and citizens for the regrettable conduct of a former staff member from my office."

He continued, ""My responsibility for failing to thoroughly manage staff working with me is very great", and "I sincerely apologize to the victim and family members who have been deeply wounded".