Post date: May 11, 2013 10:18:33 AM
South Korea's former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, fired over a sex scandal while accompanying Park Geun-hye on her first state visit to the United States, says the incident was a cultural misunderstanding.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MAY 11, 2013) (REUTERS) - South Korea's former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, who was fired over a sex scandal, made a public apology on Saturday (May 11) and called the incident a cultural misunderstanding.
Yoon, who accompanied President Park Geun-hye on her first state visit to the Untied States, left for South Korea on Wednesday (May 8) as U.S. police reported he allegedly sexually harassed a 21-year-old Korean-American who was hired to assist Park's party."I bow my head in apology to people who are disappointed and devastated over the scandal," said Yoon at a news conference held at a Chinese restaurant in downtown Seoul.
"I also deeply apologize for causing trouble to the President Park Geun-hye's successful summit (with the U.S. President)," Yoon added.
South Korea's Yonhapnews said the young woman told U.S. police that Yoon "grabbed her buttocks without her permission" on Tuesday (May 7) night at a Washington D.C. hotel.
The 56-year-old former conservative journalist, who was hired by Park herself as her government's spokesman, said the incident amounted to a "cultural difference."
"I would like to repeatedly seek the guide's understanding if I'd ever hurt her, which I think was caused by a cultural difference and I also apologized to her. I had no sexual intention at all," said Yoon.
Yoon said he is willing to receive the full consequences for his actions according to the law.