A former presidential secretary appeared before prosecutors Friday to face questioning over a leaked presidential document alleging a former close aide to President Park Geun-hye meddled in state affairs.
Citing the internal document, the local daily Segye Times reported last week that Jeong Yun-hoe, who was chief secretary to Park during her term in parliament, had regularly met with a coterie of 10 key presidential aides since October 2013 to receive briefings on state affairs.
Jeong, who holds no official position in the Park administration, even discussed with them a plot to oust Kim Ki-choon, the current chief of staff to Park, the daily reported.
Dismissing the document dated Jan. 6 as nothing but a collection of groundless rumors, the presidential office has asked the prosecution to look into the case.
The former secretary, Cho Eung-cheon, entered the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul around 10:00 a.m. Friday.
Cho previously served as a supervisor to Park Kwan-cheon, a senior police officer suspected of having authored and leaked the document, at Cheong Wa Dae.
Cho reportedly briefed Kim on Jeong's monthly meetings with key presidential officials in an alleged bid to meddle in state affairs. Cho has been banned from leaving the country amid the investigation. (Yonhap)