Maestro Chung Myung-whun steps down from SPO
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Chung Myung-whun / Yonhap
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra music director Chung Myung-whun has told members he will step down.
"I would like to congratulate the SPO members on your achievements of the last 10 years - achievements that have been applauded all over the world," he said in letter to them Tuesday.
"It is sad that these achievements have been overshadowed by one person's fabricated statements. Lies and corruption may cause scandals but human dignity and truth will prevail in the end."
Chung's resignation comes amid discussions of a contract renewal. The decision to renew Chung's contract was postponed for reasons including a probe into Chung's wife, surnamed Koo, for allegedly spreading false rumors about former SPO CEO Park Hyun-jung.
Koo was booked without detention on charges of instructing SPO members to remove Park by smearing her reputation.
In December 2014, 17 employees issued a press release demanding Park step down, claiming she had verbally and sexually harassed them.
Park denied the allegations, saying Chung was behind the scheme. She stepped down that month.
Park was cleared of all allegations in August. Police booked 10 SPO employees on charges of false accusations of Park's abuse.
Earlier, Chung said in an interview he would step down at the end of this year. But SPO board members and the Seoul Metropolitan Government seemed intent on keeping him, seen by the latter's 2016 budget allocation to build a musical hall for the SPO, which Chung mentioned as a condition for a contract renewal.