FM says scandal won't affect US-ROK ties

By Chung Min-uck

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said the alleged sexual assault by former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung during President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the United States would not impact on Seoul’s relations with Washington.

“Basically, the case is something that the U.S. police will handle. It is not a diplomatic issue,” said Yun, appearing on a TV program, Sunday. “The foreign ministry would only be a mere contact point between the two countries’ judicial authorities depending on the outcome of the investigation.”

Yun added that his ministry, as of now, was not involved in the ongoing investigation.

Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police announced last week it was investigating a complaint against a 56-year-old man accused of “grabbing a woman’s buttocks without permission” without elaborating on further details.

Yoon was sacked from his position immediately following reports that he sexually molested a Korean-American woman in her early 20s who was assigned to him as part of an internship organized by the South Korean Embassy in the United States, during Park’s six-day visit to Washington that ended Friday.

Fleeing to Seoul from Washington on Wednesday, the former spokesman held a news conference on Saturday, at which he denied the allegations.

He said he only tapped her once on the waist, not the buttocks, as part of gesture to encourage her after drinking alcohol with her and their driver for about 30 minutes at his hotel.

“Washington has said this issue has nothing to do with the achievements on North Korean policy, the alliance and many other policies. We stick to the same position,” said the foreign minister.

The U.S. State Department was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency last week that it also was “not involved in this investigation,” referring reporters to the Seoul government and the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for further information.

During the interview, the foreign minister also said South Korea is in talks with China to set up Park’s visit to Beijing at an early date, stressing that Beijing has recently been more cooperative than ever in ending North Korea's nuclear program.