Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, apologized on May 14 for a past assault incident, stating he would express his regrets again if necessary.
After attending a forum hosted by the Korea Newspaper and Broadcasting Editors Association in Jung-gu, Seoul, Jung addressed claims from the victim's side that they had never received an apology.
"It seems that due to the long passage of time, they may not have a clear memory of the event," he said. "I did apologize at the time, but I want to reiterate my feelings of regret and sorrow at any time."
In response to assertions from the People Power Party that the background of the assault was not due to political differences, based on records from the Yangcheon District Council, Jung stated, "I do not believe that statements from council members in the records hold more weight than a ruling from an official court in South Korea. Even if we check the five journalists who reported on the incident at the time, the reasons for the dispute are clear."
He added, "Once again, I deeply apologize for the past, regardless of the reasons, and I feel sorry for the distress caused."
On May 13, Kim Jae-seop, a member of the People Power Party, claimed that the 1995 assault incident involving Jung occurred after he demanded that a cafe owner allow a female employee to stay overnight, which was denied. This contradicts Jung's explanation that the altercation stemmed from political differences. On the same day, fellow party member Joo Jin-woo released audio recordings purportedly from the assault victim, who stated, "I have no memory of any arguments related to the May 18 incident or of receiving an apology afterward."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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