South Korean prosecutors request arrest warrant for Choi Soon-sil

(Baonghean.vn) - Yonhap news agency reported that on November 2, South Korean prosecutors requested a court to issue an official arrest warrant for Ms. Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park Geun-hye and the central figure in the current political scandal in South Korea.

Earlier, in the early morning of October 31, prosecutors temporarily detained Ms. Choi after many hours of questioning about the allegations against her, on the grounds that she might flee or try to destroy evidence.

Ms. Choi returned to South Korea last weekend after spending nearly two months in Europe. Ms. Choi Soon-sil, 60, is suspected of interfering in state affairs through her long-standing close relationship with Ms. Park, as well as personally profiting from two nonprofit organizations she founded and receiving tens of billions of won from South Korean businesses.

Ms. Choi Soon-sil arrives at the South Korean Prosecutors' Office for questioning on January 1, 2016. Photo: Reuters.

Faced with growing public calls for accountability, President Park on October 30 partially reshuffled her secretariat and on November 2 reshuffled her cabinet.

However, Ms. Park has not made any official statement regarding this scandal other than apologizing in a televised speech last week for giving drafts of many of the president's speeches to Ms. Choi and letting her edit them, even though Ms. Choi did not hold any official position in the government.

On the same day, political experts said that the newly appointed Prime Minister of South Korea, Kim Byong-joon, may be given more power to manage internal affairs more effectively. While the South Korean Constitution stipulates the role of the Prime Minister as "supporting the President" and "supervising ministries according to the President's instructions," experts said that the Prime Minister's role will certainly be expanded under Kim Byong-joon. This shows that Ms. Park Geun-hye is no longer as effective in managing state affairs as before.

A political scandal has caused President Park Geun-hye's approval rating to fall to a record low below 10% for the first time since she took office. Photo: Reuters.

Regarding the current political scandal, on November 2, South Korean prosecutors summoned former Secretary of the President of South Korea, Mr. An Jong-beom, on suspicion of being involved in the scandal involving Ms. Choi Soon-sil, a longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye.

President Park is now in her fourth year of a five-year term. The current political crisis threatens to complicate policymaking during a difficult period that often comes at the end of a South Korean president's term.

Lan Ha

(According to Yonhap)