[Courtesy of Chaum ]
South Korea's health ministry ordered a special probe into two high-end clinics Friday to see if they had provided illegal medical services to President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend accused of meddling in state affairs.
The two clinics in Seoul's most affluent district of Gangnam included Chaum, a fancy clinic catering to rich domestic and foreign clients and providing special health care and anti-ageing services under the slogan "Better health, Better beauty".
Park and Choi were among Chaum's regular clients, and a doctor in the clinic is suspected of having served as Park's unofficial archiater after the president took office in early 2013.
The other clinic was not identified, but there have been unconfirmed reports that a plastic surgeon in Gangnam took illicit favors for his cosmetics business in return for frequent skin care treatments for Choi and her family.
Cosmetics manufactured by the plastic surgeon were once selected for a New Year's Day gift set by the president's office and were allowed to enter duty-free stores.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
