ed Official's misconduct
Who is telling a lie? Couldn’t it possibly be the result of a cultural gap?
The sexual abuse allegation involving former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung is developing into an unprecedented disaster that will significantly taint the nation’s dignity amid controversy over the truth. Yoon, who was fired after becoming embroiled in the sex scandal while accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her first visit to the United States last week, denied allegations Saturday of sexually harassing a 21-year-old Korean-American intern that worked for him during the visit.
The former journalist said he didn’t have any intention of sexually abusing her. With respect to the intern’s testimony contained in a U.S. police report that Yoon ``grabbed her buttocks without her permission’’ at a hotel bar in Washington, Yoon said he only touched her waist as a sign of encouragement. He said it was impossible for any form of sexual molestation to take place because his driver was present at the scene where the 30-minute drinking party took place. In his defense, he attributed all the fuss to cultural differences.
Yoon’s allegations were confirmed partly as Yonhap News reported, quoting a Korean Embassy official in Washington, that the driver entered the hotel bar with Yoon and the alleged victim. The truth will be revealed because American police are investigating the case, but it’s unthinkable that a high-ranking presidential aide thought of drinking while his boss was attending an important diplomatic function. This incident shows how slack the discipline of the new administration is.
What’s most shocking is that a spokesman of the female leader has been implicated in a sex scandal at a time Park is pushing ahead with a plan to uproot sexual violence as part of four social evils. It’s also a pity senior presidential secretary Lee Nam-ki is engaged in a tit-for-tat over suspicions he helped Yoon evade police investigation in the U.S.
Yoon’s alleged sex scandal can’t be separated from Park’s secretive, uncommunicative and go-it-alone appointment style, given that there was strong skepticism about his qualification as a presidential aide for his biased attitude, vulgar expressions and abusive language.
We believe Yoon has no reason to be reluctant to go to the United States to be questioned over his sexual abuse suspicions if he is confident of his innocence. This scandal raises the need ― once again ― for the chief executive to strengthen the vetting system for high-ranking officials.