Yoon fired for improper actsBy Kim Tae-gyu LOS ANGELES _ Presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung was dismissed on Thursday (local time) for inappropriate acts during President Park Geun-hye’s first overseas visit to the United States. He is being accused of cupping the buttocks of one of the Korean aides on the mission and the local police are investigating the case. Lee Nam-ki, Park’s senior secretary for public relations, held an emergency press meeting to announce the unprecedented measure. He did not elaborate what the inappropriate acts were although it has been found to be sexual harassment. “President Park decided to fire Yoon because his inappropriate acts during the U.S. visit undermined national dignity,” Lee said. “We are checking the details via the Korean Embassy in the U.S. and will transparently make them public as soon as they are confirmed.” Ahead of the conference, Lee expressed regrets to reporters by saying, “Thanks to your supports, the U.S. visit was evaluated as successful and the internal appraisal was also positive. But I have to let you know bad news.” After finishing schedules in Washington Wednesday, Yoon did not accompany President Park to Los Angeles and returned to Korea to raise suspicions on the reason. Allegations spread fast through the Internet that Yoon sexually harassed an intern working for the Korean Embassy in Washington. Cheong Wa Dae does not confirm whether they are true. Yoon was a former long-time journalist, whose appointment as spokesman for the presidential transition team last December generated criticisms due to his extreme rightist stances. The way he announced personnel appointments also came under fire because he failed to specify backgrounds of the appointments and details of nominees during press briefings. Despite the controversies, Park tapped her as presidential spokesman in time with her inauguration on Feb. 25. But he ended up leaving Cheong Wa Dae in two and half a months. |
No comments:
Post a Comment