Former Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Won‑o, who is running for Seoul mayor in the June 3 local election, strongly denied allegations that he reappointed an individual accused of sexual violence to lead a Seongdong‑gu affiliate, the Seongdong Cultural Center.
In a statement on the 29th, Jeong’s campaign accused People Power Party mayoral primary candidate Yoon Hee‑sook—who raised the allegation—of deliberately distorting facts and demonstrating ignorance of local government procedures. They said Yoon made the claim without properly checking the relevant legal framework.
Jeong’s team argued that the Seongdong Cultural Center is not an agency of Seongdong‑gu. Under the Local Culture Promotion Act, it is a nonprofit, independent corporation. The center’s director is elected by the cultural center’s general meeting and board according to its bylaws, not by local ordinance. They added that supervisory authority rests with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, not Seongdong‑gu, and suggested the matter should be raised with Mayor Oh Se‑hoon.
Earlier the same day, Jeong unveiled a women’s policy platform aimed at eliminating three major burdens: solo parenting, career interruptions and gender‑based violence.
Yoon responded on Facebook, accusing Jeong of “pretending to care about women” during the campaign and questioning whether he has the standing to call for “zero” tolerance on sexual violence while allegedly protecting an accused offender.
Yoon said, “Of course sexual violence must be eradicated, but the problem is that Jeong is not qualified to call for ‘zero.’ A, the head of the Seongdong‑gu affiliate, is currently accused of sexual‑violence crimes.” She alleged that despite those accusations, A was reappointed as director last year and suggested that the role has historically been used to reward allies of past Seongdong district chiefs.
Yoon added that reappointing someone accused of rape reflects the Seongdong district mayor’s intent. She noted that A was a major donor who contributed 5 million KRW (about $3,750) to Jeong’s 2022 local election campaign and argued that reappointing a figure who once stirred scandal in the district gives rise to reasonable suspicions of a quid pro quo.
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