By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter

Chong Wa Dae made an official apology yesterday to former opposition party chairwoman Park Geun-hye for the posting of an indecent photo of her on its official Web site.

``We sincerely apologize for posting the picture of Rep. Park on Chong Wa Dae’s homepage and we will be more cautious to prevent the recurrence of such an incident,’’ said Lee Byung-wan, senior presidential secretary for public information.

Lee’s apology was made just hours after the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) demanded those responsible for the incident be sacked and called for an official apology from President Roh Moo-hyun.

Park, who recently quit the post of chairwoman in order to prepare for an upcoming party leadership election, strongly denounced both Chong Wa Dae and the governing Uri Party for the incident.

``It’s very shameful that such an obscene photo was posted on the government’s official Web site.’’

Meanwhile the opposition party’s lawmakers strongly criticized Chong Wa Dae for its problematic Internet management and pledged to appeal to the public to hold relevant officials responsible for the incident.

``We demand a formal apology from President Roh Moo-hyun for the incident and the immediate dismissal of the officials in charge of public relations due to their responsibility,’’ Park Sun-ja, lawmaker of the GNP, said in an interpellation session.

``It’s a crime against women and we will take stern actions for women’s sake,’’ a female lawmaker of the party said.

In a barrage of questions to Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan during a parliamentary interpellation session, the lawmaker also raised the suspicion that Chong Wa Dae sought to damage the GNP and the party’s former chairwoman as part of political maneuvering.

Lee dismissed Park’s claim as groundless, but admitted that it was wrong to parody women in such a fashion. He also vowed to find those responsible and determine the reason why it was not deleted immediately.

The incident started when Chong Wa Dae put a parody photo featuring party leader Park Geun-hye lying partially naked in bed with a man on its official Web site on Tuesday, which satirizes Park for close relations with two conservative vernacular dailies opposing the government’s plan to relocate the capital south of Seoul.

The picture in question was shown on the main homepage of the presidential office until it was deleted Wednesday morning as it began to draw criticism.

In response, Chong Wa Dae also took steps on the issue and condemned relevant officials.

Kim Woo-sik, chief presidential secretary ordered stern punishment for the officials responsible. ``Working-level officials did not pay proper attention to their jobs, and should not do anything of that nature again,’’ Kim was quoted as saying by presidential spokesman Kim Jong-min.

``From now on, the operation of our Web site will be subject to tight rules and watched to prevent such an incident from reoccurring,’’ a staffer at the presidential office said.

yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr