Funeral held for Seoul mayor, friends, family and colleagues attended
Mourners carry a portrait of late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon during his funeral service at Seoul City Hall in the South Korean capital on Monday. Park, a contender to be the country’s next president, left a testament to his family and later found dead in the hills last Friday. A day before, he was accused of sexual harassment by his secretary. — AFP
Friends, family and colleagues attended the small funeral on Monday for the longtime mayor of Seoul, one of the country’s most prominent officials, who leaves a complex legacy amid accusations of sexual harassment.
Mayor Park Won-soon was found dead last Friday; he left a note thanking and apologizing to “everyone.” Police did not give a cause of death but said there was no sign of foul play.
His death came days after his secretary filed a complaint alleging the 64-year-old had sexually harassed her, prompting a police investigation.
A lawyer and rights activists who have helped the former secretary said yesterday that Park had repeatedly made unwanted physical contact with her and sent photos of himself in underwear and lurid text messages.
“Acts of forceful sexual harassment continued for four years even after she moved to a different position,” Lee Mi-kyoung, one of the activists, told media. “This is a case that has a victim, and could not be covered up by his death.”
Lee also said the former secretary had reported her case to the city but officials had ignored it. A city spokesman said the report had not yet been verified and no inquiry is planned.
The funeral, hosted by the city government at the city hall and live broadcast online, was limited to around 100 people because of coronavirus concerns.
“Mourning doesn’t necessarily exclude soul-searching, but now is time to mourn,” said Paik Nak-chung, a literary critic who helped lead the funeral.
Hundreds of citizens gathered despite heavy rain near city hall and a park where his body will be cremated, some weeping.
In front of city hall, one man sought to bring attention to the harassment allegations, drawing boos and complaints from supporters, footage showed.
Park’s remains will be buried in the southeastern county of Changnyeong, where he was born, city officials said.
As the longest-serving mayor of Seoul, a city of almost 10 million people, since 2011, Park was instrumental in its response to the coronavirus.
An outspoken advocate of women’s rights and gender equality, former activist and lawyer, he was seen as a potential presidential hopeful for the liberals in a 2022 election.
