Incumbent Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun on Monday admitted the existence of a blacklist of some 10,000 anti-government artists, but continued to deny her alleged involvement in the document.

Apart from this partial acknowledgment, she mostly maintained silence over her suspected assistance in the extensive influence-peddling scandal whirling around President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil.

"We have concluded that there was such a list to classify specific artists and to exclude them from support funds," Minister Cho said at the parliamentary hearing.

Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun (right) speaks Monday at the parliamentary committee on the influence-peddling scandal of presidential aides. Cho was one of the 18 key witnesses who had refused to show up at the beginning of the hearing but made appearance later in the afternoon (Yonhap)
Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun (right) speaks Monday at the parliamentary committee on the influence-peddling scandal of presidential aides. Cho was one of the 18 key witnesses who had refused to show up at the beginning of the hearing but made appearance later in the afternoon (Yonhap)

"But there is nothing I can tell you about it as I have never seen, distributed or handled such a document."

When asked whether such a list was drafted by Cheong Wa Dae‘s civil affairs office, then led by disputed presidential aide Woo Byung-woo, the minister refrained from commenting.

“I cannot speak further as I have been charged with perjury,” Cho said.

The culture minister currently faces charges of offering false testimonies during the past parliamentary hearings, especially over the controversial blacklist.

Citing the ongoing independent counsel investigation, Cho refused to take her witness oath at the hearing this day, stirring up further disputes on the integrity of her words.　

The minister, who had formerly served as spokesperson and chief official for President Park, was initially among the 18 witnesses missing out of a total of 20 summoned to the session in the morning. When the hearing opened, only two were in attendance -- a professor from Ewha Woman’s University and a former head of the K-Sports Foundation.

But facing talks of her dismissal, as well as a parliamentary order of summons, Cho made a belated appearance at the National Assembly in the afternoon.

The non-attendance of most key witnesses triggered vexed responses from panel members.

Rep. Kim Sung-tae, the panel chairman and lawmaker of the Barun Party, a new splinter group formerly referred to as the New Conservative Party for Reform, vowed for legal sanctions upon those not attending the hearing without due reasons.

“I had hoped that those who had earlier refused to attend or to testify sincerely would show up and speak out, but most have turned down their last chance of doing so,” Rep. Kim said.

Meanwhile, the special committee, which term was slated to end this coming Sunday, gestured at extending its mandate so as to add momentum to its stalled investigation.

Chairman Kim, after resummoning the absentees during the morning session, motioned a resolution demanding for a full floor meeting to vote on extending the panel’s mandate by an extra month. He also urged the floor leaders of leading parties to consent to the motion.

The special panel kicked off on Nov. 17 last year amid burgeoning disputes and questions that President Park’s longtime friend Choi Soon-sil had exerted influence on state affairs for personal gain.

Its agenda includes the allegation that the nation’s top conglomerate Samsung Group signed a 22 billion won ($18.2 million) contract with a company owned by Choi and financially supported her equestrian daughter.

Over seven hearing sessions, the panel obtained testimonies from some of Choi‘s former aides which seemed to back the influence-peddling allegations, but it has recently been facing a deadlock due to the noncooperation of key witnesses.By Bae Hyun-jung ()