Controversy Erupts as Former Governor Ahn Hee-jung Attends Public Event After Sexual Assault Conviction

Former South Chungcheong Province Governor Ahn Hee-jung, who was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting his secretary, has sparked controversy by appearing at a book launch event ahead of local elections.
According to political circles on the 10th, Ahn attended the book launch of Buyeo County Mayor Park Jung-hyun at the Buyeo National Sports Center on the 7th.
This marks his first public appearance at an official event since his imprisonment, aside from paying respects at the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan’s funeral on the 27th of last month.
At the event, Ahn was seen smiling brightly while shaking hands with Mayor Park. He reportedly stayed for the entire duration of the book launch and participated in commemorative photos. Although he didn’t make any official remarks, the organizers introduced him as a significant figure, stating that his mere presence was meaningful.
Mayor Park has a history of working with Ahn as the deputy governor for political affairs during Ahn’s tenure as South Chungcheong Province governor. Currently, Park is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the mayor of Daejeon-South Chungcheong Unified Special City in the upcoming June 3 local elections.
During the event, Mayor Park said, “Governor Ahn was the one who brought me into politics,” and added, “I’m grateful, sorry, and moved to tears that he came to the book launch despite the risk of criticism. I think he came with the intention of offering words of encouragement.”
However, Mayor Park’s side told a media outlet, “We didn’t invite (former Governor Ahn), nor did we receive any notice that he would attend.” They added, “Wasn’t the book launch schedule publicly announced through the media? We believe his attendance occurred naturally.”
They further stated, “It was a place to congratulate and be congratulated out of human loyalty. We didn’t consider political advantages or disadvantages,” and drew a line by saying, “We hope there won’t be any excessive interpretations.”
Ahn’s public appearance ahead of the local elections has drawn criticism from both inside and outside political circles.
Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the Democratic Party’s Emergency Response Committee, wrote on Facebook on the 9th, “I hope the Democratic Party will finally break ties with power-based sexual crimes,” adding, “I felt deeply dismayed to see former Governor Ahn appear at political events and some of our party’s incumbent lawmakers warmly welcoming him.”
She continued, “It’s highly inappropriate for Democratic Party lawmakers to express ‘gladness’ and ‘joy’ towards former Governor Ahn in public spaces. When members of the legislature prioritize personal friendships and political camaraderie, politics inevitably loses credibility in the eyes of the public.” She added, “There’s no room for the victim’s pain in the phrase ‘our comrade Ahn Hee-jung.’ We can never win the hearts of the people by ignoring the victim’s suffering and glorifying the crime.”
The Justice Party also issued a statement saying, “The appearance of former Governor Ahn, a sexual violence offender, at a political event ahead of local elections is an act of violence against the victim once again, and it directly contradicts the standards of gender equality and human rights that our society has worked hard to establish. It’s also a clear insult to the voters ahead of the local elections.”