Former South Korean Presidential Secretary Arrested

The political situation in South Korea is evolving rapidly with the arrest of two figures believed to be close to President Park Geun Hye. Their statements will certainly cause a stir.

Mr. Ahn Chong Bum appeared at the Korean Prosecutors' Office in Seoul on November 2 - Photo: Reuters

On the evening of November 2, former senior secretary to the President of South Korea, Mr. Ahn Chong Bum (also known as Ahn Jong Beom) was urgently detained due to his involvement in the establishment of two non-profit foundations by Ms. Choi Soon Sil.

Ms. Choi is a close friend of President Park Geun Hye and is also the main character in the current political scandal in Korea.

The detention order will be effective for 48 hours and the prosecution still needs to obtain a formal arrest warrant for Mr. Ahn.

According to the prosecution, the detention order was issued hours after Mr. Ahn was summoned to the Prosecutor's Office to prevent him from destroying related evidence.

Before entering the prosecutor's office, Mr. Ahn promised the media that he "will take responsibility for any wrongdoings" and, more importantly, "will tell the truth to the prosecutor."

Mr. Ahn - a former senior presidential secretary specializing in policy coordination who resigned on October 30 - is suspected of assisting Ms. Choi Soon Sil in using her relationship with the President to pressure large businesses and force them to donate money to two non-profit foundations she established. The former secretary of the South Korean President has denied all allegations.

Ms. Choi, President Park's close girlfriend of 40 years, was also detained in the same way as Mr. Ahn on the evening of October 31 when she appeared before the Prosecutor's Office.

South Korean people took to the streets to protest, demanding that President Park Geun Hye resign - Photo: Reuters

Under pressure from public opinion and especially from within the Saenuri Party and opposition parties, President Park Geun Hye announced a cabinet reshuffle on the morning of November 2. She nominated replacements for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs and Minister of Public Security.

However, her decisions have been criticized by opposition parties in South Korea for not being consulted beforehand, especially in the context of the scandal involving Ms. Choi and President Park that has yet to be clarified. Lawmakers have said they will not approve the President's decision to replace her.

The Choigate scandal has caused tens of thousands of South Koreans to take to the streets in Seoul in recent days, demanding that President Park Geun Hye resign or be impeached.

According to Tuoi Tre