Book 『Time of Downfall』 : Written by Moon Sang-cheol, a witness in Ahn Hee-jung’s sexual assault trial.

『The Time of Downfall』

The Nature of Political Power in South Korea as Seen Through the Truth Behind the Fall of Ahn Hee-jung


"The #MeToo Incident Was Merely a Trigger,
The Fall of Politician Ahn Hee-jung Was Foreseen Long Ago!"

The first supporter of the victim in the ‘Ahn Hee-jung sexual assault case’ was 'Moon Sun-bae,' a close aide and secretary of Ahn Hee-jung for many years. Moon Sang-chul had worked closely with Ahn, serving as his secretary, and was the closest to him during that time. Struggling with the belief that he, too, was a complicit perpetrator for not preventing the sexual violence, Moon fell into silence and seclusion, losing both his words and his pen. Now, after a long period of silence, he breaks it to reveal the full story or truth behind the fall of Ahn Hee-jung.

This book, which records the seven years spent alongside Ahn, candidly illustrates the rise of a once-promising politician, the moment his growth stopped, and the process by which he gradually degenerated, intoxicated by the taste of power. Like a textbook on how those in power can fall, this book asserts that while the '#MeToo' incident may have accelerated the 'time of downfall' for Ahn, his collapse had been inevitable for a long time. It strongly warns that anyone holding political power can become the second or third Ahn Hee-jung.



Author Moon Sang-cheol:

Moon Sang-cheol began his public service career at the age of 28 in the Secretariat of the Chungnam Provincial Government. He worked as a public servant for over ten years, serving as the head of the team supporting the Democratic Party's presidential primary candidate and as an aide to a National Assembly member. He was closely involved in managing the messaging and presidential study project for former Governor Ahn Hee-jung of Chungnam Province, witnessing firsthand both Ahn's political success and his downfall as a perpetrator of sexual assault.

Moon testified as a witness for the prosecution during the Ahn Hee-jung trial and subsequently left public office under pressure from political forces. In 2020, he was named a finalist for the Hero Award in recognition of his support for the sexual assault victim, despite facing disadvantages. Moon initially pursued a career in public service with the dream of using politics as a means to create a better world. However, disillusioned by the reality of politics as an end in itself, he left for a corporate position, only to be asked to resign following the publication of his book.


Interview Article with Moon Sang-cheol


<JTBC>
"An Ongoing 'Emperor's New Clothes'"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/437/0000371224

<CBS>
"The Fall of Ahn Hee-jung, A Time That Denied My Own Life... It Was So Difficult" [One-on-One Debate]
https://n.news.naver.com/article/079/0003843741

<KBS>
Is Ahn Hee-jung Starting a Political Comeback?… "That’s Really Not the Case"
https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/mobile/view/view.do?ncd=7836439

<Hankyoreh21>
"The Trend of Idolizing a Single Politician Fuels Their 'Downfall'"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/036/0000049120

<Korea Herald>
"Addiction to Protocol, Womanizing... This Is How the Idolized Ahn Hee-jung Fell"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/469/0000771794

<Kyunghyang Shinmun>
"The Protocol Cartel for Maintaining Dignity… Former Aide Reveals the Fall of Ahn Hee-jung"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/032/0003265482

<JoongAng Ilbo>
"If We Don’t Reform the Politics of Power Abuse, More Crimes by the 586 Politicians Will Continue"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/025/0003324889

<Chosun Ilbo>
"The Fanatics Who Controlled Ahn Hee-jung Have Found a New Host… Are We Just Going to Watch?"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/023/0003803912

<Money Today - The 300>
"A Fanbase Fixated on a Single Politician Accelerates Their 'Downfall'"
https://m.mt.co.kr/renew/view.html?no=2023122908423436864

<JoongAng Ilbo Plus>
"Talking About the World"
https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25218248

<Women’s News>
"The Fall of Patriarchal Politics… Behind It Were Fandoms and YouTubers"
https://n.news.naver.com/article/310/0000112372

<Firenze's Table>
"Why Ahn Hee-jung? An Interview with Moon Sang-chul, Author of The Time of Downfall, Uncovering the Nature of Power"
https://www.firenzedt.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=30424

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Kim Ji-eun

Kim Ji-eun Kim Ji-eun lived a diligent life as an ordinary worker after graduating from college. As a child, she dreamed of running a bookstore, later studied literature in university, and worked in public relations for a government agency. For over ten years, she endured the challenges of working as a non-regular employee, navigating the difficult realities of contract work. With the hope of contributing to a meaningful cause, she joined a presidential campaign in 2017. In July of that year, she was appointed as the executive secretary to Ahn Hee-jung, a prominent presidential candidate and governor of South Chungcheong Province, becoming the first woman to hold such a role. In 2018, Kim courageously revealed the sexual assault crimes committed by her superior, Ahn Hee-jung. Following this, she was unfairly dismissed from her position as a civil servant. After 554 days of legal battles, she succeeded in securing a final guilty verdict from the Supreme Court. Kim later authored the bes...
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[The New York Times] Ex-Presidential Candidate in South Korea Is Jailed for Sexual Assault https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/world/asia/south-korea-metoo-ahn-hee-jung.html [CNN] Disgraced South Korean governor jailed for sexual assault https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/01/asia/south-korea-metoo-governor-intl/index.html [The New York Times] Korean Political Star Falls as #MeToo Campaign Grows https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/world/asia/me-too-south-korea-ahn-hee-jung.html [BBC] #MeToo in South Korea: Governor resigns after rape allegations https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43297331 [The Guardian] South Korean politician steps down after rape accusations https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/06/south-korean-politician-steps-down-after-accusations-ahn-hee-jung
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