By Kim Rahn





Park Hee-tae

Former National Assembly speaker

Police plan to call in former National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae soon over an allegation that he sexually harassed a female caddie last Thursday while playing a round of golf.

Officials at Wonju Police Station in Gangwon Province said on Sunday that they will issue a summons to Park, 76, this week after they have finished questioning the caddie, 23, and a number of people thought to have witnessed the alleged incident.

The investigation began last Friday after the victim, whose name was not disclosed, filed a complaint with the police, claiming that the standing advisor to the ruling Saenuri Party sexually harassed her during a round of golf the previous day.

"She told us that Park touched parts of her body," an officer at the police station said.

"According to managers of the golf club, the victim told them that Park was touching her inappropriately. She asked to change places with another caddy after playing nine holes, so the managers replaced her with a male caddie," he said.

The managers said it is very rare that a caddie requests a caddie change. Golfers sometimes ask for such a change when the person assigned is doing a poor job, according to the officer.

As to the allegation, Park told a local daily that he has granddaughters and that when he meets women of a similar age, he shows them affection and tells them they are pretty.

"I poked her on the breast once, and this was to show my affection. She claims I ‘touched' her. She didn't express displeasure at the time," he was quoted as saying.

Park also said he told her to beware of men because she was beautiful.

However, his explanation has prompted strong public criticism and condemnation.

"You did so just because the caddie was like your granddaughters? Do you touch your granddaughters that way too?" posted one Internet user with the ID "sonamu" on a portal site.

Another blogger, Lee Yoon-sun, said, "If an old man does the same thing to your granddaughter and says he did so because she was like his granddaughter, would you forgive him?"

Earlier in 2012, Park was sentenced to a two year suspended jail term for bribing fellow members of the Grand National Party, the predecessor of the current ruling Saenuri Party, in 2008 during a leadership race within the party.

He was given a special pardon by the former President Lee Myung-bak in January 2013, only a month after he was found guilty at an appellate court. He returned to the party in January this year as an advisor.