Park's chief of staff apologizes

By Chung Min-uck

Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol apologized Sunday over the sexual molestation scandal involving now-fired spokesman Yoon Chang-jung.

Huh also said senior press secretary Lee Nam-ki already offered to resign right after returning from a trip to the U.S., and that he and other presidential staff are also ready to take responsibility.

“I am so apologetic and sorry that the embarrassing and unsavory incident involving a senior Cheong Wa Dae official deeply hurt the hearts of the people. This is unconditionally wrong so much so that I would have no words to offer even if I had 10 mouths,” Huh said in a news briefing held at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. “Apart from the law, this case is a very shameful incident unacceptable by common sense.”

It was the latest apology from senior presidential officials over allegations Yoon sexually molested a temporarily-hired secretary in her early 20s while accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her first official visit to Washington last week.

The apology came after Lee and his lieutenants claimed Yoon flew back to Seoul on May 7 on his own accord without accompanying Park to Los Angeles, the final destination of her first overseas trip as state head.

It was initially reported that after reporting his wife in Korea was seriously ill, Yoon took a taxi to a nearby airport and bought a business class ticket to return to Seoul. Yoon countered that Lee advised him to do so and told him the ticket was reserved.

In the meantime, the opposition Democratic Party has demanded the chief of staff and all other senior presidential secretaries resign en masse to take responsibility for the incident.