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Seoul / AFP
South Korean prosecutors on Monday questioned two former key presidential aides over allegations they helped a shadowy confidant of President Park Geun-Hye meddle in state affairs and secretly visit her office. Park has been engulfed by a scandal that centres on Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her personal ties with the president to coerce local firms to donate millions of dollars to non-profit foundations Choi then used for personal gain.
Choi, 60, is also accused of interfering in state affairs to the extent of nominating officials and editing Park’s speeches even though she has no official title or security clearance. Ahn Bong-Geun and Lee Jae-Man, who served as Park’s key advisors until last month, are accused of helping Choi to visit the presidential office.
They also allegedly reported state affairs or leaked confidential documents to her.
TV news footage showed the pair separately entering the Seoul prosecutors’ office on Monday morning as they were mobbed by reporters. The two, who served as Park’s aides for decades, were described by local media as “doorknobs” to the president who wielded enormous power over policymaking.
Two other presidential aides have been arrested in the snowballing influence-peddling scandal. Ruling and opposition lawmakers, meanwhile, agreed Monday to appoint an independent team of prosecutors to probe the widening scandal.
Under the agreement, a special prosecutor will be recommended by the two opposition parties, a spokeswoman for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said. The deal comes after opposition parties said they were not satisfied with the existing investigation.