Cho Kuk, the interim leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, criticized the party's handling of a sexual misconduct case and asked former Spokesperson Kang Mi-jung, who left the party, to return. But Kang declined, saying she would "politely decline."
The Rebuilding Korea Party said in a media notice on the 12th, "Interim leader Cho said he would like to meet former Spokesperson Kang again at any time she wishes," adding, "Kang's resignation from the party was carried out through an online application process, leaving no opportunity for the party to hold the resignation. Interim leader Cho, immediately after taking office, is trying to take measures on this issue by using all regulations."
Former Spokesperson Kang applied to leave the party online, and once the application is received, the resignation takes effect immediately without a holding process. A Rebuilding Korea Party official said Interim leader Cho regretted this and instructed aides to find out whether there is a way to reconsider holding the resignation.
Park Byung-eon, Spokesperson for the Rebuilding Korea Party, told reporters the day before, "Normally, if you leave the party, you cannot rejoin for a year, but this time we will handle everything from the victim's perspective, and if the victim's side wants reinstatement, we will process it first," adding, "If former Spokesperson Kang wants a party post, we will actively reflect that as well."
As this became known, critics in political circles said the very request for reinstatement amounted to a third round of harm. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, wrote on Facebook, "As a matter of common sense, leaving the party is concluded the moment the intention is expressed," adding, "But Interim leader Cho Kuk reportedly made a proposal to put (former Spokesperson Kang's) resignation on hold and consider any party post she wants."
Lee said, "This attempt at appeasement itself is a third round of harm against the witness. Trying to placate the person who revealed the sexual misconduct with a party post is an act that expands secondary harm," adding, "Furthermore, leaking that proposal to the media to use it politically amounts to a fourth round of harm. They treated the witness as a target for appeasement and then tried to use the person politically again."
Former Spokesperson Kang Mi-jung posted on Facebook that day, saying, "Regarding the recommendation to return to the party that some have recently raised, let me say this. I have already made my intentions clear enough, and I am not considering reinstatement."
That day, former Spokesperson Kang wrote, "What is needed now is not repeatedly mentioning a particular person's name, but ensuring that victims are safely protected," adding, "I ask that you consider that even having my name called is leading to yet another wound."
She continued, "In particular, I ask that the insulting and unjust remarks and behavior toward Kang Mi-sook, adviser (of the party's Women's Committee), who has stood with the victims, stop immediately," adding, "Attacks on victims and their supporters are another form of secondary harm that destroys the foundation of victim protection, and this can never be tolerated."