SEOUL (AFP) - The mayor of South Korea's second-largest city resigned on Thursday (April 23) after admitting to sexually harassing a female staffer.

Mr Oh Keo-don was the leader of Busan, a southern port of 3.5 million people that hosts Asia's biggest annual film festival, and a member of the left-leaning Democratic party.

"I have realised my conduct could be perceived as sexual harassment that I should not have done," Mr Oh, 71, said.

He admitted he had extended "unnecessary physical contact" to a female subordinate during a meeting, without offering details.

Mr Oh is the most senior South Korean politician caught up in a #MeToo case since a former South Chungcheong governor was convicted last year of raping his aide and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

The woman reported the April incident to a counselling centre, which sought a response from Mr Oh, and she said in a statement she was "fearful" of what might come next.

"Despite all my worries, common sense meant I had to demand his resignation."

South Korean society remains patriarchal despite its rapid rise into an industrial powerhouse, and sexual harassment victims often face pressure to stay silent for fear of public shaming.

But signs of change emerged after the country's own #MeToo movement - sparked in 2018 by Ms Seo Ji-hyun, a prosecutor who publicly accused a superior of groping her at a funeral, prompting many to share their stories.