In a rare televised public apology this week, the 64-year-old leader admitted she received help on state affairs from an old friend and informal advisor called Choi Soon-sil. Choi, who holds no post in government, provided advice on speeches and public relations issues during the 2012 presidential election campaign and continued to assist for a period after the 2013 inauguration, Park said.



Several reports in South Korean media suggested that Choi also had access to classified material related to national security and economic policies. And there has been widespread speculation that Choi may have interfered in key government affairs, and exploited her connections to Park to establish two nonprofit foundations using funds from corporate donations. On Thursday, prosecutors established a task-force to probe the unfolding development.

The so-called "Choi-gate" scandal has been compared to the uproar over U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's decision to use a private server for her government emails while she was secretary of state.

Choi, 60, is the daughter of Park's late mentor Choi Tae-min. In mid-1970s, the latter introduced his daughter to Park, who was then acting as first lady following her mother's assassination, and the two women have been friends ever since, according to local media.

The media backlash over Park's apparent indiscretions has been fierce.

"In Park's mind, there has never been a distinction between public and private," said a scathing editorial in Wednesday's edition of independent newspaper The Hankyoreh. "She had no awareness of the importance of protecting important state secrets or of the danger of such secrets being leaked....The current commander in chief of the Republic of Korea lacks the basic attitude required of public servants."