Yoon keeps himself in total seclusion
Female lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party hold a press conference in the National Assembly, Wednesday, to urge the government to clarify the truth regarding the sexual abuse allegations involving former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung and to punish those responsible for any cover up. From left are Reps. In Jae-keun, Kim Sang-hee, You Seung-hee, Jeon Jeong-hee and Nam In-soon. / Korea Times photo by Sohn Yong-seok
By Chung Min-uck
Yoon Chang-jung, the former presidential spokesman alleged to have sexually assaulted a female intern in her early 20s while accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her trip to the U.S. last week, remained secluded in his house in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, as of Wednesday.
Yoon was fired when the case became public and returned home last Thursday, separately from the presidential entourage.
On Saturday, Yoon held a press conference flatly denying the allegations. He claimed he only patted the woman on the waist in a gesture to encourage her to do a better job and that he was wearing his underpants when she came to his hotel room.
Presidential officials later said Yoon had admitted touching the woman’s buttocks and that he was wearing nothing when he ordered her to his hotel room.
A close confidant, who recently talked with Yoon on the phone, was quoted as saying, “Yoon cannot go out of his house to meet anyone as his home is surrounded by reporters.”
Yoon was said to have sent threatening messages to some journalists, claiming they covered groundless rumors regarding the incident, and is considering taking legal action against them.
The confidant added that the former spokesman is well aware that U.S. authorities are speeding up their investigation of the case.
Seoul recently asked Washington for a swift investigation into the case.
“Yoon was positive of discussing his case with a lawyer as it would eventually be a legal case,” the confidant said.
The U.S. police said Tuesday it is too early to say what charges the former presidential spokesman might face, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Based on an initial statement by the woman that Yoon “grabbed her buttocks” at a hotel bar, police tentatively labeled the case a misdemeanor sexual abuse allegation.
Meanwhile, some U.S. residents here have wondered if the Korean government knows much about their legal system and whether some reports by vernacular newspapers are logically sound.
One said, “The U.S. federal government may not interfere in this kind of affair,” explaining it is Washington police, where the sexual harassment case was filed, that will decide what to do.
The government asked the U.S. to expedite the investigation through the Korean embassy.
Korean media outlets have focused their coverage for days on Yoon’s escapade, with some indicating the U.S. was notified of Yoon’s departure.