허 실장의 이날 회견은 새 정부 들어 청와대 차원에서 이뤄진 3번째 '사과 회견'이다. 이남기 홍보수석의 '윤창중  성추행 의혹'과 관련한 사과 브리핑이 있은 지 불과 이틀만이다.
    
윤 전 대변인의 직속상관인 이남기 홍보수석은 이 문제에 책임을 지고 허태열 비서실장에게 귀국 직후인 지난 10일  사의를 표명했으며, 허 실장 자신도 사태의 향방에 따라 책임을 피하지 않겠다는 입장을 밝혔다.
    
청와대의 이러한 입장정리는 이번 사태가 윤 전 대변인의 '성추행' 의혹을 넘어 청와대가 윤 전 대변인의 중도귀국에 개입했다는 '도피 방조' 의혹으로까지 걷잡을 수 없이 번진 가운데 나온 것이다.

   
지난 10일 이 수석의 어정쩡한 사과로는 국민의 분노를 잠재우기 힘들며 중도귀국을 놓고 참모들간에 진실공방을 벌이는 작금의 불미스러운 사태를 조속히  진화하지 않고는 그 부정적 여파가 박 대통령에게 직접 미칠 수밖에 없다는 상황판단이 내려진 것으로 보인다.
    
허 실장은 이날 청와대 춘추관에서 한 기자회견에서 "이 수석은 귀국 당일 저에게 소속 직원의 불미한 일로 모든 책임을 지고 사의를 표명한 바 있다"며 "이  문제에 있어 저를 포함해 그 누구도 책임질 일 있다면 결코 피하지 않을 것"이라고 말했다.
    
또 "방미 성과에도 불구하고 대통령 방미 기간 청와대 소속직원의 민망하고도 불미스러운 일이 있었다"며 "국민 여러분께 심히 마음 상하신 점에 대해 입이  열개라도 할말이 없을 만큼 무조건 잘못된 일로 너무나 송구하고 죄송스런 마음 금할 길이 없다"고 국민에게 사과했다.
   
그는 "국민 여러분께 진심으로 사죄의 말씀을 올린다"며 거듭 사과를 표명한 뒤 "피해자 본인과 가족, 친지들, 해외동포들에게 이 자리를 빌려 깊은 사죄의 말씀을 올린다"고 말했다.
    
허 실장은 "이번 일은 법을 떠나 상식적으로 용납될 수 없는 매우 부끄러운 일"이라며 "대통령 해외순방이라는 막중한 공무를 수행중인 공직자로서는 더더욱  처신에 신중을 기했어야 함에도 그렇지 못했다"고 잘못을 인정했다.
    
이어 "이미 당사자에 대한 즉각적인 경질이 있었지만 추후 필요한 조치가  있다면 숨기지도 감싸지도 지체하지도 않겠다"며 "저를 포함해 누구도 책임질 일이 있다면 피하지 않겠다"고 밝혔다.
    
그는 "홍보수석의 사의를 받아들였는가"라는 기자들의 질문에 "인사권자(대통령)가 결정할 일"이라고 했고, "책임질 일이 있다면 피하지 않겠다고 했는데 책임질 상황이 무엇인가"라는 질의에는 "상황을 예단해서 이야기할 수 없다"고 즉답을 피했다.
    
그는 "이번 일을 계기로 청와대 직원 모두는 거듭난다는 각오로 더욱 심기일전 하겠다"며 "그리고 모든 공직자가 다시 한번 복무기강을 확립하는 귀중한 계기로 삼겠다"고 강조했다. (연합뉴스)

<관련 영문 기사>

Park’s chief press secretary offers to resign over scandal
Chief of staff apologizes; fired spokesman denies all allegations

By Song Sang-ho

Lee Nam-ki, senior presidential secretary for public relations, offered to step down Friday, taking responsibility for a burgeoning sexual assault scandal involving the now-fired spokesperson Yoon Chang-jung, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.

Presidential Chief of Staff Huh Tae-yeol apologized to the nation for the “embarrassing, unsavory” incident, for which the main opposition Democratic United Party demanded all senior presidential secretaries bow out.

The apology came a day after Yoon denied all allegations against him, claiming “cultural misunderstandings” have prompted the scandal that overshadowed the outcome of President Park Geun-hye’s first visit to the U.S. as head of state last week.

“Anybody related to the incident, including myself, would never shirk his or her responsibility should he or she have to shoulder it,” Huh told a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae.

“I apologize to the nation. I also deliver words of deep apology to the victim herself, her family and relatives, and overseas Koreans. Apart from legal issues, this is an unacceptable and very shameful incident.”

Huh stressed Cheong Wa Dae would take this incident as an “invaluable opportunity” to establish discipline in the presidential office.

Arguing a slew of news reports were based on “unfounded rumors,” Yoon denied all allegations Saturday. The 56-year-old former journalist is suspected of groping a 21-year-old Korean-American intern who assisted him while he was accompanying Park in Washington.

Washington police have launched an investigation after a sexual misdeed claim was filed against him Wednesday. A preliminary police report alleged the suspect “grabbed her buttocks without her permission” between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

“She (the intern) guided me around in a very clumsy, half-hearted manner, for which I scolded her, perhaps too much. Later, to console her, I had some drinks at a basement hotel bar not only with her, but also with the driver,” Yoon told reporters in an impromptu press conference.

“With the driver looking at us, how could I sexually assault her? I just patted her waist, saying I hope she can be successful in the States. It appears to be a cultural misunderstanding, and I had no sexual intention whatsoever toward her.”

A Korean Embassy official in Washington said the driver was at the bar with Yoon and the victim, but it was hard to confirm whether the driver witnessed everything that happened at the bar that night.

“From time to time, the driver might have stepped out of the bar and came back. But I understand the driver did not say he had witnessed the very moment of alleged sexual assault,” the anonymous official said.

Yoon also repudiated the rumors that he hurriedly flew back to Seoul to avoid a police investigation, claiming Lee Nam-ki asked him to return home.

Lee immediately countered the claim as he struggled to contain the scandal that dealt a fresh blow to President Park Geun-hye who has repeatedly been upbraided for flip-flops over senior personnel appointments.

“I was shocked at the allegations of sexual abuse at the time and busy as the time was approaching for the president’s speech at the U.S. parliament,” Lee told reporters Saturday. “I can’t recall (what happened at the time) 100 percent, but I did not say that it was right for him to return (to Seoul).”

Yoon claimed he wanted to stay in Washington, but Lee urged him to return home.

“(Lee) told me that whatever excuse I would make, it would not be acceptable when it comes to any allegations of sexual assault. Then, (Lee) said it would be right to leave Washington quickly and return home,” Yoon said.

The DUP stepped up its offensive against Cheong Wa Dae, calling on all senior presidential secretaries to step down en masse and demanding a full-scale reorganization of the presidential office. 

It also demanded President Park’s official apology for the scandal, saying a parliamentary hearing should be held to look into the case.

Criticizing Yoon for making excuses to defend himself during his press conference, the ruling Saenuri Party urged him to conscientiously respond to all future investigations to get to the bottom of the scandal.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said there would be no need to worry about any diplomatic ramifications stemming from the scandal.

“The Washington government has already said that the scandal has nothing to do with the outcome of President Park’s visit to the U.S. You don’t need to worry about it at all,” he said while appearing on a KBS TV program.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)