The woman at the centre of a scandal rocking South Korea has met with prosecutors investigating her close ties to President Park Geun-hye, and whether she pulled Government strings to amass an illicit fortune.

Key points: Choi Soon-sil asked for forgiveness before being interviewed by prosecutors

Choi Soon-sil asked for forgiveness before being interviewed by prosecutors Investigators are looking into how much access she had to the President

Investigators are looking into how much access she had to the President Ms Choi is the daughter of a cult leader who was close to the Park family

"Please, forgive me. I'm sorry," said Choi Soon-sil, a cult leader's daughter with a decades-long connection to Ms Park.

Ms Choi, wearing a bucket hat and scarf, her hand pressed to her mouth, was nearly knocked off her feet several times as she tried to walk through a massive crowd of media, protesters and security surrounding the building's entrance.

YTN TV station reported that Ms Choi lost her shoe as the throng converged on her, while protesters screamed for her arrest and the resignation of Ms Park.

"I committed a sin that deserves death," she said according to local media.

The scandal exploded last week when, after weeks of speculation, the president acknowledged that Ms Choi had edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help.

Widespread media reports said that Ms Choi, who has no official position in the government, may have had a major role in government affairs.

Investigators are trying to determine the scope of access she had and whether she was given sensitive presidential documents, and have raided the homes of some officials in the presidential Blue House as part of the investigation.

It is unclear if there will be any details revealed from Ms Choi's meeting with prosecutors. ( AP: Lee Jin-man )

Allegations Choi profited from ties to president

Ms Choi has been close to Ms Park since her father, the leader of a religious cult, attached himself to Ms Park by reportedly convincing her that he could communicate with her assassinated mother.

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Media reports said the younger Ms Choi used her connection to Ms Park to pressure businesses to give money to two non-profit organisations she controlled, the Mir and K-Sports foundations.

She then allegedly used some of the organisations' official funds for personal purposes.

South Korean media speculated that the two foundations collected about 80 billion won ($92 million) in donations from South Korea's largest business groups in just a few months.

The president of Ewha Womans University has also resigned amid protests over allegations that Ms Choi used her connections to Ms Park to get her daughter into the elite school and then secure special academic treatment.

Embattled leader's presidency threatened by scandal

Ms Park has fired some of her top aides to try to contain the fallout as thousands of people protested in the streets, and some politicians and the public have called for her resignation or impeachment.

South Koreans hold signs during a rally calling for President Park Geun-hye to step down. ( AP: Lee Jin-man )

It is not clear how much influence Ms Choi had, but many South Koreans believe there is much more to the story than Ms Park has acknowledged, and the frenzy surrounding the scandal threatens her presidency.

It is unclear if there will be any details revealed from Ms Choi's meeting with prosecutors.

She has previously said she helped Ms Park but did not know if she was seeing confidential information.

Her attorney Lee Kyung-jae told reporters earlier that she "apologises deeply for causing the people humiliation and despair".

Elected in 2012, Ms Park has been accused by critics of governing in an imperial manner, relying only on a few longtime confidantes and limiting her interaction with the press, the public and even parts of the Government.

AP