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May 13. Park expressed regret that the incident had caused such disappointment among the public. (Blue House photo pool)

By Seok Jin-hwan, Blue House correspondent

President Park Geun-hye apologized to the South Korean public on May 13 for an alleged act of sexual assault by former Blue House spokesperson Yoon Chang-jung during their recent visit to the US.

“I am mortified that something so unpleasant, something that is unacceptable for a public servant, occurred late during our visit, and that it caused a great disappointment to our people,” she said during a meeting of senior secretaries at the Blue House.

Park went on to say, “I sincerely apologize for the shock that the Korean-American student and her parents must have felt over this situation, and for the pain this caused to our fellow Koreans overseas.”

“This is a matter of a grave offense against the country and its public, and I intend to see to it that all the facts are brought to light so that not a speck of doubt remains, whatever the circumstances or allegations,” she added.

This is the first time since Park took office that she has personally apologized to the public, using expressions such as “mortified” and “sincerely apologize.” She avoided doing so in past months even when facing heavy criticism over her insistence on appointing inappropriate candidates to official posts - or when the same candidates subsequently dropped out of contention. The latest remarks suggest that she is taking the situation with Yoon very seriously.

Park also said she plans to take action to establish stern discipline with her officials.

“After this incident, I intend to ensure strict discipline among Blue House employees, including its secretaries, and even senior secretaries will be held accountable if anything like this happens again,” she said. “I hope this is an occasion for all public officials, not just those in the Blue House, to examine their behavior and straighten themselves out.”

A source at the Blue House said Park was “livid” after her return and gave employees there a “roaring scolding.”

Park is known for keeping on people who have served her in the past, and the fact that she did not turn down senior public relations secretary Lee Nam-ki’s resignation shows the seriousness of the situation at the Blue House. Chief of Staff Huh Tae-yeol sent out a written plea to secretariat employees on May 13, warning them of a “zero-tolerance policy on inappropriate words or actions by Blue House employees at any level.” The same day, the office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs made a request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the US to conduct its investigation “as promptly as US law will allow.” It also plans to review the US delegation’s visit to develop a “manual for appropriate behavior.”

But it remains in question just how far Park’s apology and pledge will go in easing the public’s disappointment. There have also been complaints about the format and timing.

Just after taking office, Park made an emotional appearance in a “talk with the public” to rail over delays in passing an amendment to the Government Organization Act. Many expressed disappointment that she decided to handle the apology during a meeting with senior secretaries this time, rather than making a public address.

Others complained that it took her four days after the incident took place to make the apology. A previous attempt to quiet the storm by Lee Nam-ki, who was ahead of Yoon in the chain of command, backfired when people complained about the oddness of his apologizing “to the public and the President.” Huh’s written apology likewise failed to quiet criticisms. Park’s apology seems to have lost some of its potency for coming only after things had reached a low with Yoon’s own press conference to rebut the allegations.

But the biggest criticism is that Park’s apology showed no consideration of the root cause of the incident. Despite many charging that the situation was the result of her backing a widely disapproved-of figure under strenuous objections from both sides of the aisle, the President has kept quiet on her decision to insist on his appointment.

In spite of Park’s apology, the controversy is showing no sign of dying down. Even in her own ruling Saenuri Party (NFP), critics said the apology’s form and content - and the measures announced in response to the incident - failed to live up to expectations. The biggest problem, some contended, is that Blue House advisers are too busy trying to figure out what Park wants to bring the situation to a speedy resolution.

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