Anti-corruption panel hit by staff rape scandal

Police are interrogating a high-ranking official of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission for sexually assaulting one of his female staff workers earlier this month.

The man was immediately sacked.

According to police in Songpa, southern Seoul, 55-year-old Park raped his subordinate at a motel in Gangdong District around 9:40 p.m., after they shared drinks and the woman went drunk.

It was revealed later that a motel worker, Kwon, also raped her after Park left the woman in the room in a paralytic state.

The police and prosecutors sought arrest warrants for both Park and Kwon, but the court issued one for Kwon only. Park was not arrested because he was not considered likely to flee.

The commission on Wednesday said it had dismissed Park and referred the case to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to decide any further punitive measure.

Commissioner Kim Young-ran on Thursday expressed regrets. “I will take full responsibility for the misdeed. All the staff workers are advised to take this incident as an occasion to reflect on their lives seriously,” she said.

The commission held an ethics training session in the following afternoon.

Kim also ordered his workers to look after the victim.

“At this point, the most important thing will be to let her work in an ordinary environment and atmosphere. It is important to conceal her identity from the public,” she said.

The ACCRC has been criticized for failing to heed its own motto of guaranteeing civil rights.

“The organization spent too much time investigating misdemeanors and irregularities of others so that it forgot to look into itself,” a netizen said on an online bulletin.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)