President's crony acknowledges involvement in editing speeches

By Park Sae-jin Posted : October 27, 2016, 16:58 Updated : October 27, 2016, 16:58

Choi Soon-sil gives out orders to accompanied assistants in a surveillance camera footage from a tailor's shop in Seoul. [Yonhap Photo]



A woman seen as a spiritual partner and power broker behind President Park Geun-hye acknowledged her involvement in editing presidential speeches but dismissed her alleged role in stashing money from conglomerates.

Choi Soon-sil, who has been at the center of a corruption scandal that tarnished the president's image, said she had received presidential documents e-mailed after Park took office in early 2013.

"I helped the president because I've watched her for a long time and know well what's in her mind and heart. However, I did not realize it would constitute a problem," Choi said in an interview published Thursday by South Korea's daily Segye Times.

Choi insisted her involvement in presidential speeches just came out of goodwill and faith "to help better convey Park's feelings". She flatly refuted allegations that she has been involved in state affairs and the appointment of government officials as well as Park's personal life and way of thinking.

The interview in an unidentified place in Germany followed a brief TV speech in which Park acknowledged her controversial relations with Choi. Park apologized in response to revelations by broadcaster JTBS that dozens of presidential speeches had been leaked to Choi before they were delivered.

In her statement, Park admitted Choi had acted as a personal advisor, helping the president prepare for speeches during her presidential election campaign and for a while after she took office as South Korea's first female president.

Choi, 60, is the daughter of Park's former mentor Choi Tae-min, a controversial religious leader who died in 1994. There have been unconfirmed reports that ties with Choi Tae-min and her daughter date back to 1974 when Park's mother was assassinated by an ethnic Korean from Japan.

The Choi family has reportedly provided spiritual consolation to Park even after her father and late president, Park Chung-hee, was assassinated by his intelligence chief in 1979.

Park Ji-won, the floor leader of the second opposition People's Party of Korea, raised suspicions that the president could be the victim of "a religious sect".

Opposition and ruling parties agreed on a special counsel to investigate Choi's role in the operation of the Mir Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation, which were created with 77 billion won (68 million US dollars) donated by dozens of conglomerates.

Choi is suspected of embezzling money from the two public foundations but insisted she had done nothing wrong with the collection of money from business leaders. "I can take poison and die here," she was quoted as saying.

The woman refused to return home for an investigation, saying she would stay at her home in Germany to protect her daughter who was also involved in the scandal. "I'm suffering from a nervous breakdown so that I cannot use a plane to travel, along with problems in my heart." 

Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com

 
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