Intern hired for presidential visit to U.S. alleged groping incident
NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation)—The spokesman for South Korean president Park Geun-hye has been fired for allegations that he sexually assaulted a young woman during Park’s recent five-day state visit to Washington, DC.
According to a report in the New York Times, spokesman Yoon Chang-jung allegedly groped the buttocks of a young Korean-American female intern hired by the South Korean Embassy to assist with the official visit. Park met with President Barack Obama at the White House and addressed the U.S. Congress before returning home on Friday.
Park’s office announced the sacking of Yoon, 56, on Friday saying that he was dismissed for committing an “unsavory act that was inappropriate for a high-ranking government official and damaged the national prestige.”
On Saturday in Seoul, Yoon spoke at a press conference during which he apologized but called the incident a “cultural misunderstanding”. Yoon said he takes full responsibility for the incident but that he had no sexual intention.
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