President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil



By Jun Ji-hye, Jung Min-ho

Choi Soon-sil, a 60-year-old woman who is being called President Park Geun-hye's "hidden underling," had access to classified material related to national security and the country's economic policies, according to local broadcaster JTBC, Tuesday.

The report comes following the revelation that Choi reviewed Park's speeches ahead of the dates of their delivery, which critics argue violates the law governing the security of confidential presidential records.

Citing data secured from Choi's tablet computer, JTBC reported that on Dec. 28, 2012 ― when Park was president-elect ― Choi received a document created ahead of a closed-door briefing with then incumbent President Lee Myung-back to discuss a smooth transition of the government. This included sensitive content related to national security, foreign affairs and economic issues. Choi read this hours before the briefing took place.

The document included intelligence reports that the South Korean military had held secret meetings with the North Korean National Defense Commission on three occasions, the JTBC said. At the time, military tension between the two Koreas was heightened following the North's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and an artillery attack on the South's Yeonpyeong Island. Such meetings were classified as top-secret.

The document also stated that Park raised the need for the issuance of national bonds, while Lee was reluctant to do so.

What Park and Lee talked about during the meeting has been unknown so far, but the report indicated that Choi, a person with no official standing, already knew.

JTBC added that there was circumstantial evidence showing that Choi might have also intervened in the appointment of government personnel.

Another local cable channel TV Chosun also reported Tuesday that Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Chong met with Choi a number of times and requested special consideration for job positions for his close aides.

The prosecution said investigators are now analyzing Choi's tablet computer, which JTBC secured first and then handed over to the prosecution.

"We received a tablet PC from JTBC and are looking into the files," a prosecutor told reporters.

A civic group also said it will file a complaint with the prosecution against those who are deemed responsible for delivering confidential presidential documents to Choi.

"It is a serious crime that undermines the nation's law and order. We will file a complaint against those responsible for the unauthorized access to presidential documents," it said in a statement.

Prosecutors have questioned three more people as part of their widening investigation into two foundations, which are suspected of having been used as fundraising vehicles for people close to President Park.

According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, two officials surnamed Lee and Kwon from the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), which raised funds for the Mir and K-Sports foundations, were summoned for questioning over the business lobby group's role in the "fundraising" and its connection with the foundations.

K-Sports' ranking official, Roh Seung-il, was also questioned.

They are the latest figures in a list of people questioned over the scandal centered on Choi. On Sunday, Kim Hyung-su, the inaugural chairman of the Mir Foundation, and K-Sports Foundation director Kim Pil-seung were called in.

The focus of their investigation is to find out whether Cheong Wa Dae ― more specifically Choi ― was behind the inception and operations of the two foundations. So far, no evidence has been found that anyone else, other than Choi's aides, benefitted from their creation.

To establish the foundations, the FKI raised about 80 billion won ($72 million) in just two months; and it took a single day to get approval for their establishment from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Such a process normally takes at least several weeks.

After the corruption allegations surrounding the foundations started to emerge early this month, the FKI said it would disband them.

Prosecutors are trying to get a clear picture of how and why the FKI raised that much money for the foundations.

Roh is known to be close to Choi. Prosecutors suspect that he played an important role in operating the K-Sports Foundation since its creation and regularly reported to her. Also, his involvement is suspected in running Choi's shady businesses in Korea and Germany.

Suspected of pressuring the FKI to raise the money for the foundations, An Chong-bum, President Park's senior secretary for policy coordination, may also be questioned soon.

With two more prosecutors joining the special investigative team, seven prosecutors are now looking into the case. As the situation develops with more evidence of crimes, the size of the team may be expanded further.