Park Won-soon, the mayor of Seoul, found dead early Friday in the South Korean capital after being missing, left a farewell letter. The contents of the note, written in a brush and left on his desk in his official residence, were released by the city government with the permission of his family, according to Reuters.
"I apologize to everyone. I thank all those who accompanied me during my lifetime. I am so sorry for my family, who have done nothing but cause suffering, ”said the note. According to the Associated Press, Park Won-soon also requests that his remains be cremated and scattered around his parents' graves.
The body of the mayor of Seoul was discovered in a small mountain north of the city, where his cell phone had last signaled. Park Won-soon had left a voice message for his daughter, which the latter had interpreted as a will. Over a hundred police officers participated in his search.
"Inappropriate gestures" and "obscene comments"
While there is little doubt about the suicide hypothesis, it has not been explicitly mentioned by the South Korean police. Several South Korean media, including the agency Yonhap, say that a former secretary of Park Won-soon on Wednesday filed a complaint against him for sexual harassment. Police confirm complaint and investigation but do not expand on these allegations.
He "sexually harassed me and made inappropriate gestures during working hours", insisting in particular that she join him in the bedroom adjoining his office, said the alleged victim, according to a document presenting his testimony to the police, forwarded to AFP from sources close to the file.
After work, said his personal secretary since 2015, he sent her via messaging "selfies of him in underwear accompanied by obscene comments". "I tried to forget, enduring enormous fear and humiliation, telling myself that it was in the interest of the city of Seoul, myself and mayor Mr. Park," said she said, according to the document.
"Baseless statements"
A representative of Park's family issued a statement on behalf of the relatives saying it was time to let him go and urging people to avoid making "baseless statements". "If the defamation continues in disregard of the truth, we will respond severely with legal action," said Moon Mi-ran, former Park Won-soon deputy.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
Many years before being elected mayor in 2011, Park Won-soon was a lawyer for a victim of sexual harassment. He also supported the #MeToo movement. According to the agencies, the death of the mayor of Seoul caused a shock wave in the South Korean capital. The city hospital where his body was transported is mourning for five days.
