The prosecution is investigating a Korean who translated an allegedly defamatory article published by Japan’s Sankei Shimbun that raised the possibility that President Park Geun-hye had a tryst with a man on April 16, the day the ferry Sewol sank.

They are considering whether to level defamation charges against the translator, identified by the surname Min. In addition to having translated the article, he wrote a commentary online, which investigators think could amount to defamation.

Prosecutors have already questioned the Japanese daily’s Seoul bureau chief Tatsuya Katou twice over the defamation allegations.

In his commentary, Min said that President Park had undermined national prestige as her relationship with a man was being talked about in the foreign press. The commentary also underscored that she did not appear to be at her office when more than 300 people were trapped in the sinking ferry.

Cheong Wa Dae has dismissed the rumors that she was not at the presidential office on the day of the tragic sinking. It stressed that Park took care of state affairs “not only at the official office but also at the presidential residence.”

Last month, a conservative civic group in Korea filed a complaint with the prosecution against Katou and Min. Min is an employee of the translation company News Pro. The company offers translations of Korea-related news articles though its computer server is based in the U.S.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)