DP demands Park apologize

By Jun Ji-hye

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) demanded President Park Geun-hye offer a public apology, Sunday, over the sexual harassment allegations against her former spokesman.

The DP raised issue with what they call Park’s secretive personnel appointment style.

The former spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, was fired following allegations that he sexually abused a Korean-American female intern assigned to him in Washington, while accompanying Park on her visit to the United States.

“President Park pushed through Yoon’s appointment although the whole nation opposed it. We urge Park to release a statement of apology to the public and take follow-up measures to unearth the truth,” said Rep. Lee Un-ju, a DP spokeswoman.

Lee called Yoon’s press conference nothing short of blatant lies that shocked the nation.

Park Yong-jin, a DP spokesman called on the president to immediately dismiss Lee Nam-ki, presidential senior secretary for public relations, who is accused of helping Yoon flee to Korea, an hour after his alleged abuse was reported to police in Washington.

At the briefing, Yoon insisted that Lee advised him to go back to Korea as soon as he reported the case. He added that it was Lee who booked the flight for him.

Park said, “Cheong Wa Dae will have to explain the truth of the matter directly to the public. If Yoon’s claim is true, it is not a personal problem of an unqualified government official, but a problem with the whole administration.”

He claimed President Park ignored public opposition to Yoon’s appointment and therefore is directly responsible.

Yoon gave a brief press conference Saturday in which he denied the sexual harassment allegations made against him, but admitted acting irresponsibly as a top ranking official.

Various parties slammed the dismissed presidential spokesman.

The minor opposition Unified Progressive Party also issued a statement, saying “What Yoon needs to do now is not to make lame excuses, but to go back to the U.S. and cooperate with the investigation by the local police.”

The ruling Saenuri Party attempted to absolve itself from the scandal by limiting the criticism to Yoon, in contrast to the opposition which are calling for the presidential office to take responsibility.

“There is a big difference between what the media has reported and what Yoon said in the press conference. Yoon’s comments cast more doubts on the incident, rather than allaying the suspicions brought up so far,” said Rep. Min Hyun-joo, a ruling party spokeswoman.

Min said Yoon’s briefing was disappointing as he only tried to evade responsibility.

“He will have to be questioned seriously and honestly by police, as it will be the only way to console the public that was hurt by his moral laxity,” she said.

During the briefing, Yoon acknowledged that he drank with the intern, but argued that his driver was present at the hotel bar so there was no way that he could have sexually harassed her. He explained that he only tapped her waist once as a way of encouraging her to work harder, because he was dissatisfied with her performance.