Supreme Court Upholds Ruling on Former Mayor Park Won-soon's Sexual Harassment Case

The Supreme Court of South Korea has confirmed the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) decision that the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon sexually harassed a subordinate. This ruling comes after a lengthy legal battle that began over four years ago. On June 5, the Supreme Court's Special Second Division, led by Justice Oh Kyung-mi, dismissed an appeal from Park's widow, Kang Nan-hee, seeking to overturn the NHRC's recommendation. The court's decision to reject the appeal without further deliberation means that the lower court's ruling stands. In November 2022, the first trial ruled against Kang, and the second trial upheld that decision, stating there were no issues with the initial judgment.

Following Park's death, the NHRC initiated an investigation in January 2021 after the police investigation was closed. The NHRC identified four specific actions by Park as sexual harassment, including sending suggestive text messages, sharing a photo of himself in a tank top, sending an emoticon that highlighted a woman's chest, and touching the victim's hand and nails in his office.

The first trial concluded that Park's actions constituted sexual harassment, causing sexual humiliation and discomfort to the victim. The second trial acknowledged that while there was insufficient evidence regarding the emoticon, the other actions were confirmed and deemed as sexual harassment. The court stated that given these findings, the NHRC's decision could not be considered unlawful.

Attorney Kim Jae-ryun, representing the victim, remarked that it took over four years to reach this outcome, emphasizing that the administrative lawsuit filed by the family served as a protective shield against those attacking the victim during this time.