President Park Geun-hye accepted the resignation of her senior press secretary Wednesday, the presidential office said, holding him responsible over allegations of sexual misconduct by the now-fired spokesman during her visit to Washington.
Senior secretary Lee Nam-ki was not involved in the alleged abuse by then spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, but he offered to quit in order to take responsibility as Yoon's immediate superior. Yoon was accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a young intern working as his temporary secretary during the trip.
Park accepted Lee's resignation Wednesday, said spokeswoman Kim Haing without elaborating.
Park has apologized over the scandal and pledged to have senior secretaries as well as those directly involved take responsibility for any misconduct involving their staff.
Lee is the latest in a series of high-profile resignations under Park.
Police in the United States are looking into the allegations.
The scandal was a blow to Park, as she has been under criticism for picking unqualified people for important positions. The scandal also overshadowed the outcomes of Park's visit to the United States, her first overseas trip since taking office in February. (Yonhap News)
