The prosecution on Monday questioned the president’s brother, Park Ji-man, as they dug deeper into the Chung Yoon-hoi case.
Chung was an aide to the president until the mid-2000s, who allegedly meddled in state affairs in collusion with a number of presidential aides. Chung and some presidential aides have filed defamation suits against the Segye Ilbo, the newspaper that broke the story about Chung’s alleged actions, citing documents compiled by the presidential office.
Cheong Wa Dae has pointed to former presidential secretary Cho Eung-cheon as orchestrating the events, from the drawing up of the documents to the media gaining access to them.
Park is not directly involved in the case, but he met a Segye Ilbo reporter in May, when he was given a large volume of documents compiled by Cheong Wa Dae officials. Park claims that he then alerted the presidential office of the situation through Jung Ho-sung, a personal secretary to the president. Jung denies receiving any documents from him.
Park declined to comment before the questioning, saying simply that he would tell the prosecutors what he knows. Park and Chung are rumored to have engaged in a power struggle, and Chung reportedly had him followed earlier this year.
According to reports citing unnamed associates of Park, the meeting with the reporter took place because some of the documents concerned Park and his family.
Presidential administrative secretary Lee Jae-man, who was questioned as a plaintiff on Sunday, told investigators he had very little contact with Chung and the existence of a secret group colluding to influence state affairs. Lee did, however, admit that Chung contacted him earlier this year regarding another news report implying a power struggle between the president’s brother and her former aide.
As the investigators work through the list of individuals connected to the case, the death of police officer Choi is expected to generate further controversy.
Choi was found dead in an apparent suicide, leaving a 14-page note to his family and associates claiming his innocence.
In the suicide note, Choi also implied that Cheong Wa Dae attempted to influence the other police officer who was questioned in connection with the case. Along with Choi, a police inspector identified as Han is suspected of handing copies of the documents to the media.
“Wavering (over) such an offer from the office of the (presidential) civil affairs secretary is natural, I would have done so too,” Choi wrote referring to Han.
The note did not provide details of the offer and the presidential office has since stated that Han was not contacted and no offer was made.
The prosecution, however, said that it may probe the allegation if necessary once the current investigation is concluded.
By Choi He-suk ()
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
