Seoul mayor mourned after apparent suicide
SEOUL: One of South Korea’s most prominent elected officials and longtime mayor of the capital Seoul was found dead yesterday after he was reported missing by his daughter amid a criminal probe and media reports of alleged sexual harassment.
Officers using drones and sniffer dogs found Mayor Park Wonsoon’s body at Mt Bugak in northern Seoul shortly after midnight after a search involving hundreds of police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said.
There was no sign of foul play and police did not give a cause of death.
The apparent suicide came after one of Park’s former secretaries filed a complaint on Wednesday alleging the 64yearold had sexually harassed her, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Police confirmed a criminal complaint had been made against Park but did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
‘‘I apologise to everyone,’’ Park wrote in a note left on his desk and released by the city government.
‘‘I thank everyone who was with me in my lifetime. I am so sorry to my family, to whom I have only caused pain.’’
The note did not mention any allegations.
Many residents of Seoul, a city of nearly 10 million people, expressed shock over the sudden death of the former activist, women’s rights advocate and lawyer who many saw as a potential presidential candidate in 2022.
Park’s daughter reported him missing in the early evening (local time) on Thursday, police said. He had left the mayor’s official residence about 10.40am on Thursday, having cancelled meetings for the day.
His body was taken to Seoul National University Hospital.
Leading lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties expressed condolences, as did the US ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris.
Ruling party chief Lee Haechan said Park’s death was ‘‘shocking and regretful’’, recalling him as an old friend with whom he fought together for democracy during the dictatorship in 1980s.
As Seoul mayor since 2011, Park was instrumental in its response to the Covid19 pandemic. He also played a vocal role in massive candlelit demonstrations that contributed to the ousting of former President Park Geunhye in 2017.
As a lawyer in the 1990s, he won one of South Korea’s earliest cases on sexual harassment, and strongly advocated for the cause of ‘‘comfort women’’ from World War 2. — Reuters