Expats are finding it hard to keep up with the scandal surrounding South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante Choi Soon-sil.

The idea that Choi -- a civilian -- has been influencing presidential decisions has been met with shock and disappointment.

“I have to say that this incident was very shocking and I am still in disbelief with what happened,” Hamza Lupin, a Moroccan working at a Korean construction company who has lived here for seven years told The Korea Herald.

“The leader of the 11th world power, freely elected by the people of Korea, let herself be influenced by an unknown third party to the point of being instructed on policy, speeches and even clothing style. Incredible!”

Korea has an important role to play on the international stage and cannot afford such displays of “poor and amateurish statecraft,” he added.

The scandal erupted last week when cable TV channel JTBC reported that it found a trashed computer containing over 200 confidential files that was purportedly used by Choi. Among the files were drafts of presidential speeches with apparent signs of editing by the owner of the computer, as well as a raft of presidential documents, including sensitive information on inter-Korean relations.

Fahad Abdullah, a young Bangladeshi studying at a university in Seoul, predicted that most young Koreans would probably “hate the president more” after this scandal.

“What she did is not right because she was entrusted by the citizens who have voted for her and made her president. Trust once broken is difficult to rebuild,” Abdullah said.

Professor Michael Heinz at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul offered a few points for Koreans to think about.

If the president was found to have done something illegal, to that extent, she should be prosecuted. Yet, having a mentor and asking the person for “help in writing a speech or even making policy is not a crime and should not be seen as such,” he said.

“I do wonder if this story would be as scandalous if President Park were conferring with more conventional religious figures,” he added.

Choi, who is a decades-old friend of President Park, is also the daughter of Choi Tae-min, a self-proclaimed pastor who later founded his own religion.

Park’s relationship with Choi dates back more than 40 years to 1974 when the then 22-year-old Park was grieving the loss of her mother to a bullet meant for her father, military strongman Park Chung-hee.

Online expat communities are rife with debates and theories on the issue.

“As an American outsider, I’m thinking that she was traumatized by the death of her mother and this ‘psychic’ was the only link she had to replace her mother,” an anonymous commentator wrote on online community “Ask a Korean.”

“It’s actually kind of sad when you think of it that way,” the person added.

Michelle Kim, a Korean-American entrepreneur, said the story about the Park-Choi relationship may be sensationalized.

“Shamanism isn’t bad. In fact many business leaders consult with gurus that are experts in shamanism and the tarot (Saajupalja) system that Korea uses. This is all just sensationalized rhetoric,” she said.

Teresa, a professor at a local university here, questioned how the suspicious ties between Park and Choi could go on unchecked until last Monday when the scandal erupted.

“Apparently all of those in Cheong Wa Dae and the companies related (to this matter) would have known about Choi, as this isn’t the first time she’s made an appearance on the news,” she wrote on a Facebook group page for expats residing in Korea.

“There has been public outcry but seriously not enough attention has been put on it. Naver results aren’t as high as they realistically should be. Foreign media isn’t reporting on it much,” she added.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)