More than half of the amount was earmarked for promotion and marketing, which is odd considering that the budget was originally intended for research and development, the probe team said. 

It discovered that several officials from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae instructed the ministry as to how to execute the budget for advertising.

Evidence shows that the officials picked which advertising company and broadcasting channel the ministry should contact to make the promotion footage and air it, it said.

The current law stipulates that any state-led promotion campaign must be done through a competitive bidding.

The probe team also raised suspicions over misappropriation, as the marketing costs are seen to have been excessively charged.

The probe team said it has requested the prosecution to investigate seven officials from Cheong Wa Dae and the then ruling Saenuri Party on possible charges of a violation of state contract law, breach of duty and abuse of power.

Last month, the probe team revealed that the ministry under Park's leadership took a mission to doctor citizens' written statements to be in favor of the uniform history textbooks. (Yonhap)