[Newsmaker] Busan mayor resigns over sexual harassment allegations

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don stepped down from his post Thursday, admitting to “unnecessary physical contact” with a female subordinate.

“I realized the contact that occured during a short meeting that lasted five minutes could be taken as sexual harassment,” Oh said in a press briefing, adding that what he had done -- however light or heavy -- could not be forgiven.

“As a responsible public servant, I apologize to victims and will spend the rest of my life repenting,” he said.

Oh, who is affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, showed tears as he apologized to the residents of Busan, where he was elected as mayor in 2018 after three failed attempts. He had two years and two months left in his four-year term.

Upon Oh’s departure in disgrace, Vice Mayor Byun Seong-wan will serve as acting mayor until a by-election is held in early April next year.

Following the surprise press conference, the woman in question revealed that she had been called into Oh’s office for work by his secretary and was sexually harassed there.

“It was clearly sexual harassment and a crime punishable by law,” she said in a statement, adding she was afraid of being seen as overreacting. “There was no external pressure on me. This has nothing to do with political calculations.”

It was not the first time Oh faced sexual misconduct allegations.

In October last year, hosts of a YouTube channel accused Oh of sexually harassing a female civil servant and consequently met with legal action from Oh. Oh dismissed the allegations as fake news and sued the YouTubers for 500 million won ($407,000).

In 2018, Oh was criticized after it was revealed he had seated female workers on either side of him at a dinner table.

Oh was elected mayor of Busan, the country’s second-largest city, in 2018, a win much hailed by the liberal camp for taking over a traditional conservative stronghold. He defeated Suh Byung-soo of the Liberty Korea Party, now the United Future Party, by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points.

The Busan Counseling Center Against Sexual Violence, which has provided help to the victim in the case since it first received a report from her, said Oh’s resignation should only be the beginning for the Busan Metropolitan Government in improving what they said is a male-centric work culture.

“Busan Metropolitan Government should actively protect the victim for (her honor) to be restored, and secondary damage should be prevented,” the group said in a statement. “The city government should create a body dedicated to sexual harassment and violence, and improve its organizational culture and awareness through gender equality education.”

Oh’s fall deals a blow to the Democratic Party, which has already seen lawmakers mired in allegations over sexual misconduct.

In the country’s highest-profile #MeToo case, former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung, who was once a strong presidential hopeful for the Democratic Party, was convicted of raping his female secretary. He is serving three years and six months in prison.

An official from the Democratic Party said Thursday that the party would convene an ethics committee meeting on Friday and expel Oh from the party.

After graduating from Busan High School and Seoul National University, Oh passed the public servant exam in 1973 and went on to assume major roles in the Busan Metropolitan Government. He served as minister of oceans and fisheries from 2005-2006 during the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)