Police are currently investigating Jang Kyung-tae, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party of Korea, on allegations of "secondary victimization" related to a sexual harassment claim.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Women and Youth Crime Investigation Unit said on the 4th that it additionally booked the lawmaker on suspicion of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (prohibiting disclosure of a victim's identity and privacy) and summoned the complainant the previous day to question them about related details.
Police were said to have checked the circumstances of the case and whether the complainant's identity was disclosed, questioning the complainant for about 10 hours, and asked about the intent to seek punishment over the lawmaker's alleged secondary victimization. The complainant reportedly demanded strict punishment, saying they suffered secondary harm due to the disclosure of their identity.
The Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes stipulates imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won if a sexual violence victim's personal details are disclosed in broadcasts or elsewhere without consent.
This provision was co-sponsored by the lawmaker in 2020, leading to tougher penalties.
On the 27th of last month, when the case first became public, the lawmaker met reporters at the National Assembly and mentioned that the complainant was a "female secretary," and the audio was aired.
Police plan to soon summon others who were present at the dinner gathering for questioning.