A ruling party lawmaker said Monday that he will step down from the Saenuri Party over a sexual assault allegation.
Sim Hag-bong said that he made the decision not to place any further burden on the party, noting he is very sorry for causing any public concern.
He also said he will cooperate with the police investigation into the alleged incident to clear any suspicion.
The announcement follows a police report by a woman in her 40s made days ago, who said that she was sexually assaulted on July 13 at a hotel in Daegu, a major city in North Gyeongsang Province.
She later changed her statement, saying there was no coercion.
The ruling party said it will mete out a severe punishment against Sim, saying the party has no reason to protect the lawmaker.
Police said they will summon Sim in the coming days for questioning over the alleged sexual assault. (Yonhap)
