PM makes sure trip to Thailand 'sober'

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, second from left, walks along with Kim Keun-ho, left, CEO of Korea Water Resources Corp., or K-water, during his visit to a Lat Pho Canal in Bangkok with officials of Royal Irrigation Department in Thailand, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won eliminated two sources of potential trouble for his five-day trip to Thailand ― alcohol and female interns.

It appeared to be a move to stem the recurrence of any sexual assault following the embarrassing case of Yoon Chang-jung, the former presidential spokesman who allegedly harassed a 21-year-old female intern hired to assist him during President Park Geun-hye’s U.S. visit.

Chung left for Thailand Saturday to attend the Asia-Pacific Water Summit that opened on Monday in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. He met Thai Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi Tuesday in Bangkok to promote the nation’s water industries.

For this visit, the prime minister chose three male interns to assist his entourage and employed only male tour guides.

A government official said, “We did not intentionally exclude females from the list. We chose males simply because interns for this tour have to work through a hard schedule.”

The choice is more likely to be seen as an attempt to block any source of a similar incident to Yoon’s.

Chung also took a stricter position on drinking, and said before he left for Thailand, “I thought about composing my entourage of only those who can't drink alcohol.”

At a luncheon meeting with representatives of Korean residents in Chiang Mai Sunday, Chung proposed a toast with orange juice instead of alcohol.

“The entourage is extra careful in order not to damage national prestige. They are strictly abstaining from any alcohol on the mission,” the official said.