[Anchor Lead]
A Democratic Party governor has resigned amid sexual assault allegations from his female aide. An Hee-jung, the popular governor of Chungcheongnam-do Province apologized to his aide after she accused him of raping her multiple times since last year on a TV news program. He said he would resign and suspend all of his political activities; she and her lawyers are filing criminal charges.
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Following sexual assault allegations, Governor of Chungcheongnam-do Province An Hee-jung avoided the media. But he finally issued a statement through social media early Tuesday. He said he was very sorry to his female aide Kim Ji-eun who suffered because of him, and that he was entirely at fault. He also added that the initial response put out by his secretary's office that the sexual relationship was through mutual consent was an incorrect statement. He said he will step down as governor as of Tuesday and suspend all political activity. Officials at the provincial government also conveyed An's intention to face the media in the near future. Earlier, in a media interview, An's secretary Kim Ji-eun said she was sexually assaulted by the governor several times since last year. She said she was raped four times over the past eight months since last June when she began to work for him. She said the assault continued even until late February when the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum in Korean society. Assisted by a team of lawyers, Kim filed sexual assault charges against the governor with the prosecutors' office on Tuesday.
