Late Seoul mayor Park Won-soon was friend of China, critic of Japan

Name: Missing Seoul mayor Park Won-soon found dead in hills near South Korean capital
Uploaded: 2020-07-10T02:45:16.000Z
Duration: 52 s
Description: Missing Seoul mayor Park Won-soon found dead in hills near South Korean capital

Park’s body was found in a remote area on Friday morning, after a more than seven-hour search involving hundreds of police officers

In February, Park announced plans to ship medical aid to China to fight coronavirus, recalling Beijing’s support for Seoul during the Mers outbreak

4-MIN READ4-MIN

In recent months, Park Won-soon led an active campaign against the coronavirus as it spread in the city, shutting down thousands of nightspots and issuing an administrative order banning rallies in major downtown streets. Photo: AFP

Park Chan-kyongandAssociated Press

Published: 10:45am, 10 Jul 2020Updated: 11:01pm, 10 Jul 2020

Park Won-soon, the three-term mayor of South Korea’s capital found dead on Friday, was a vocal supporter of China, offering solidarity with Beijing during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. He was also a fierce critic of his own country’s economic inequality and was considered a potential presidential candidate in 2022.

Police said Park’s body was found near a restaurant nestled in wooded hills stretching across northern Seoul after a more than seven-hour search involving hundreds of police officers, firefighters, drones and dogs. They said there were no signs of foul play, but gave no further details on the cause of death.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused Park’s disappearance and death. When asked about local media reports that one of his secretaries had filed a complaint against him involving alleged sexual harassment, Seoul police official Choi Ik-su confirmed that a complaint against Park had been filed with police on Wednesday.

Seoul’s city government on Friday revealed the contents of a note they had found at his residence.

“I am sorry to everyone. I want to thank everyone who has been with me. I am sorry to my family for only causing them pain. Please cremate me and scatter the ash over my parents’ grave. Goodbye everyone,” read the note shown on television.

Elected mayor of Seoul in 2011, Park was a close friend of China. In February he announced a plan to ship medical aid worth 600 million won (US$500,000), including face masks and protection gear, to China. About 230 million won worth of that aid was sent before domestic shortages of such materials and mounting criticism persuaded him to suspend the aid. He also objected to a proposed ban on all travellers from China entering South Korea.

“There is a tendency to attack some particular group of people and scapegoat them but this is not the right attitude to cope with epidemics,” he said at the time. “Did China or Beijing ban Koreans or Seoul citizens from entering when Seoul was seriously hit by Mers?”

00:52

Missing Seoul mayor Park Won-soon found dead in hills near South Korean capital