The sudden death of Seoul’s mayor, reportedly implicated in a sexual harassment complaint, has prompted an outpouring of public sympathy.
It has raised questions about Park Won-soon who built his career as a reform-minded politician and self-described feminist.
Park was found dead on a wooded hill in northern Seoul early Friday, about seven hours after his daughter reported to police he had left her a ‘will-like’ verbal message and then left their home.
Authorities launched a massive search for the 64-year-old before rescue dogs found his body.
The sudden death of Seoul’s mayor, reportedly implicated in a sexual harassment complaint, has prompted an outpouring of public sympathy
A mourner crouches on the floor and weeps at a memorial altar for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at Seoul City Hall Plaza
Two mourners in face masks weep as one wipes her eyes in front of a memorial altar for Park Won-soon in Seoul
People line up to pay tribute to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon who was first elected in 2011 and served three terms
Police said there was no sign of foul play at the site though they refused to disclose the cause of death.
On Friday morning, Seoul officials said they were releasing what they called Park’s ‘will’ found at his residence at the request of his family.
The note shown on TV said: ‘I feel sorry to everyone. I thank everyone who has been with me in my life.’
It continued with a request that his remains be cremated and scattered around his parents’ graves.
Park was a huge figure in South Korean politics. As a former human rights lawyer, he led two of South Korea’s most influential civic groups and was mayor of Seoul, the South Korean capital city with 10 million people, since 2011.
He was widely considered a leading liberal candidate for president when his political ally and current President Moon Jae-in’s single five-year term ends in 2022.
Park was a heavyweight figure in the ruling centre-left Democratic party and won three elections while promoting gender and social equality, making him the longest-serving mayor of the capital.
Four people stand in front of Park’s memorial at Seoul City Hall Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, to pay their respects
Two mourners stand and another kneels in front of the memorial after the sudden death of the mayor of South Korea’s capital
Citizens form a long queue near a memorial altar set up in front of City Hall to pay their respects to the late Seoul Mayor
His death shocked many and his supporters wailed and shouted things like ‘we love you’ and ‘we are sorry’ when his body arrived at a Seoul hospital.
His name was the most popular search word on main internet portal sites and condolence messages flooded social media.
On one TV programme Friday morning, a panelist choked up and couldn’t continue talking about Park.
Kim Young-hyun, a small business owner, said near Seoul City Hall: ‘I really respected him… I hope he can realise all his dreams in heaven.’
Anti-Park sentiment also erupted amid media reports that one of his female secretaries had lodged a complaint with police on Wednesday night over alleged sexual harassment over an extended period.
Police only confirmed that a complaint against Park had been filed but cited privacy issues in refusing to elaborate, including about whether the complaint was about sexual behaviour.
The Associated Press news agency made numerous calls to police, who declined to provide more details about the complaint.
Some critics questioned the image of a man who had portrayed himself as ‘a feminist mayor’ dedicated to gender equality and a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement.
Mourners kneel to pay tribute to Park Won-soon in front of a memorial altar for Park Won-soon who was found dead early on Friday
People sit down and weep as they mourn for the late mayor who died following reports of his implication in a sexual harassment complaint
A mourner wearing a face masks wipes her face with a cloth as she waits in line to mourn at the memorial altar
A woman reacts after arguing with a conservative political supporter as people visit a memorial altar for Park Won-soon
A mourner buries her face in a cloth as she weeps after paying her respects at the memorial for the late Seoul mayor
A mourner crouches on the floor and weeps in Seoul as hundreds mourn for the late mayor who built his career as a reform-minded politician
During his days as a human rights lawyer, Park won South Korea’s first sexual harassment conviction in 1998.
It followed a years long legal battle in which he represented a Seoul National University research assistant who accused a professor of making sexual advances and firing her after she rejected them.
He strongly advocated for the cause of ‘comfort women’ who were forced to work in Japan’s wartime military brothels before and during World War Two.
As mayor, he appointed a special adviser on gender equality issues and introduced policies aimed at designing safer urban environments for women and providing affordable housing for working single women.
Resident near Seoul Lee Ji-hye said: ‘I think Park did something wrong. It’s also regrettable for anyone in public service to be embroiled in such an allegation regardless of whether it’s true or not.
‘As a former human rights lawyer, he was accused of doing something bad but we cannot directly ask him about his position because he’s gone now. That’s very disappointing too.’
Professor Yi Han Sang at Korea University criticised the Seoul city government for planning to establish a public mourning area near its building and use official funds for Park’s funeral next week.
He said the city government must stop acts that could lead to public criticism of the alleged victim and focus on thinking about how to protect her and find the truth about the allegation.
A stream of Park’s fellow politicians affiliated with the governing Democratic Party and senior presidential officials visited a private mourning site at Seoul National University.
Media photos showed sympathy flowers bearing President Moon Jae-in’s name placed there. Presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min told reporters at the hospital that Moon called Park’s death ‘very shocking,’ Yonhap news agency reported.
A mourner dabs her eyes with her hands as she walks away from the memorial after paying her respects at Seoul City Hall
After paying their respects to Park Won-soon, two mourners walk away from the altar in South Korea
One mourner holds another’s wrist as they walk away from the altar after paying their respects at the memorial altar
A mourner puts their bag on the floor and covers their eyes with their hand after paying their respects to the late mayor
When Democratic Party chief Lee Hae-chan confronted journalists there, one asked him how the harassment allegations should be handled.
Lee scolded the journalist for asking a ‘rude’ question that he said shouldn’t be raised in that place.
There are worries that the public mourning for Park could lead to criticism of the alleged victim, whose identity is unknown.
Ryu Ho-jeong of the small liberation opposition Justice Party wrote on Facebook that she won’t pay respects to Park, saying she doesn’t want the alleged victim to ‘feel lonely’. Her message drew both strong support and opposition online.
Kim Ji-hyeong, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, confirmed that Park did not show up for work on Thursday because of unspecified reasons.
He also cancelled all his schedules, including a meeting with a presidential official at his Seoul City Hall office.
Police said 600 police and fire officers using drones were scrambled to join the hunt, searching into the hours of Thursday evening. His body was discovered in the early hours of Friday morning.
Fire officer Jeong Jin-hyang said rescuers had used dogs to search dangerous areas on the hills, and helicopters were planned to be deployed if the mayor was not found overnight.
Though women’s rights have gradually improved in recent years, South Korea largely remains a male-centred society.
People stand near a memorial altar for late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on July 11 after he was found dead early on Friday
Mourners line up to wait for their turn to pay tribute to Park Won-soon at the memorial altar set up in front of the Seoul City Hall
There is a long queue of mourners waiting to pay their respects to the mayor who was considered a leading liberal candidate for President after the current President’s term ends in 2022
Two men stand either site of the public memorial for the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in Seoul on July 11
A memorial altar was set up at the Seoul City Hall following the sudden death of the capital’s mayor
There was a long line of mourners waiting to pay tribute for the late mayor at the memorial altar set up at Seoul City Hall
A photo of Mayor Park Won-soon sits amongst white flowers at the memorial at Seoul City Hall in South Korea
Mourners line up in front of the memorial altar for Park Won-soon who was found dead on a wooded hill in northern Seoul early Friday
Mourners take pictures with their phones after paying their respects at the memorial altar at Seoul City Hall Plaza
Mourners stand on the grass near the memorial altar to pay their respects for the former human rights lawyer
People stand near the memorial altar to pay tribute for the former human rights lawyer in Seoul, South Korea
Park also praised women for their courage after a series of women accused powerful politicians and policymakers of sexual wrongdoings amid the #MeToo movement in 2018.
The #MeToo movement that began in 2018 in South Korea successfully targeted many male celebrities, but the women who raised allegations sometimes faced strong online attacks and other backlash from supports of the alleged abusers.
The most prominent South Korean man caught in the #MeToo movement was South Chungcheong Province Gov. Ahn Hee-jung, a liberal who is now serving a prison term of three and a half years for raping his former secretary.
Earlier this year, Oh Keo-don, the former mayor of Busan, the country’s second-largest city, stepped down after a female public servant accused him of sexually assaulting her in his office.
Park also established himself as a fierce opponent of former conservative President Park Geun-hye and openly supported the millions of people who flooded the city’s streets in late 2016 and 2017, calling for her ouster over a corruption scandal.
Park Geun-hye, a daughter of late authoritarian leader Park Chung-hee, was formally removed from office in March 2017 and is currently served a decades-long prison term on bribery and other charges.