The prosecution on Monday again questioned police Superintendent Park Gwan-cheon and an alleged informant in the expanding case surrounding Chung Yoon-hoi.

The informant, identified by the surname Park, is alleged to have provided information on Chung to the police officer when he was assigned to the presidential department tasked with matters regarding discipline within the civil service. Chung is a former aide of President Park Geun-hye, and the son-in-law of late pastor Choi Tae-min, who was once a close associate of the president.

The informant is said to have provided the information regarding Chung’s meetings with incumbent Cheong Wa Dae officials who supposedly colluded with Chung. 

The investigators suspect that the informant did not witness Chung’s meetings with the presidential aides in person, and hope to determine his motive for giving Superintendent Park related information.

The prosecution is said to have secured evidence that the two Parks had been in frequent contact.

The information Superintendent Park put together in his reports were leaked to the media late last month, setting off a growing scandal. The Segye Ilbo newspaper, which first carried the story, has since had two defamation suits against it. The police officer is accused of removing concerned documents from Cheong Wa Dae when he was reassigned early this year.

The report claimed that Chung and a number of presidential aides influenced the president’s personnel appointments and attempted to have Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon replaced.

As related investigations expand, the prosecution plans to summon Chung on Wednesday.

Chung will be questioned as the plaintiff in the defamation suit he filed against the Segye Ilbo, and as the suspect in the case regarding his alleged involvement in human resource management of the Park Geun-hye administration.

The latter case was initiated when the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy filed a complaint accusing Chung of interfering in state affairs, including the reassignment of two mid-level officials at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Since the reports alleging Chung’s involvement first came out, it has been claimed that Cheong Wa Dae ordered the Culture Ministry to audit the Korea Equestrian Federation based on claims made by Chung’s associates.

When ministry officials compiled a report that was not biased in favor of Chung’s associates, President Park allegedly ordered reassignment of concerned officials referring to them as “bad people.”

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)