The chief of the Seoul city orchestra offered to resign Monday amid allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse leveled against her. 
   
Earlier this month, members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra publicly accused Park Hyun-jung of repeatedly harassing them
sexually and verbally since taking office in February last year.   
 
  
"I intend to resign as president of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra from today," Park said in a press conference. "I am to blame for a large part (of the allegations) and I sincerely apologize for that."
  
"Restoring my personal reputation is more important than anything, but I could not bear the abnormal state of the Seoul Phil, which is run on taxpayers' money," the 52-year-old president said.
  
Park's resignation offer comes one day before the board of the city orchestra is set to decide whether to fire the female head over the allegations.
   
The city's human rights official later confirmed the rights violations, including insulting sexual jokes as well as abusive language, advising the city government to punish Park and take measures to help heal the victims. Park had initially denied the charges.
   
City officials said the Seoul Phil board plans to discuss Tuesday whether to accept the resignation.
   
Also scheduled for discussion at the board meeting set for Tuesday is whether to retain Seoul Phil Music Director Maestro Chung Myung-whun, according to the officials.
   
The chief Seoul Phil director has offered to resign after Park claimed earlier this month that he arbitrarily changed the city orchestra's schedules and bypassed the president when making official decisions. (Yonhap)