The mysterious family that dominated two generations of Korean presidents

President Park Geun-hye is facing the biggest challenge of her turbulent tenure. South Korean media have exposed her for allowing a longtime friend to influence policy decisions for years.

NewspaperKorean HeraldThe scandal of President Park Geun-hye, about the accusation of letting a woman named Choi Soon-sil manipulate state affairs and gain personal benefits for many years, is actually only a "late" revelation. According to this newspaper, the case should have been exposed when Mr. Choi Tae-min, Ms. Choi Soon-sil's father, was still an advisor to Ms. Park under President Park Chung-hee.

From the Korean “Rasputin”

The relationship between President Park Geun-hye and Ms. Choi Soon-sil began in 1975. At that time, Ms. Park was only 23 years old and had just lost her mother - the wife of the late President Park Chung-hee.

President Park met Ms. Choi through Mr. Choi Tae-min, Ms. Choi's father. According toKorean Joongang DailyMr. Choi, born in 1912, was a policeman and became a monk after Korea was liberated from Japanese fascism. Since 1970, Mr. Choi has claimed to be a pastor and can heal the sick. He is devout and has founded his own sect called “Church of Life”.

The South Korean female president had to apologize to the people and reshuffle the cabinet. Photo: Reuters

A report by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) written in the 1970s said: In 1975, Mr. Choi wrote to Ms. Park and said that her recently deceased mother appeared in her dream and asked for his help. Ms. Park Geun-hye invited him to the presidential office. This meeting is considered to be a milestone in the later relationship between Ms. Park Geun-hye and the Choi family.

After her mother’s death, Park began working in the Blue House as first lady. Choi Tae-min became Park’s main adviser, taking charge of many “patriotic” movements that Park nominally led, and always accompanying her to important events. At that time, Choi Soon-sil, Choi Tae-min’s daughter, also knew Park and became the leader of several student movements.

Choi Soon-sil in a photo taken at a horse riding center in Incheon, Seoul, in 2014. Photo: KoreanTimes

According to the KCIA report, Mr. Choi took advantage of his close relationship with Ms. Park to expand his business and social activities, and at the same time made illegal profits. For that reason, many newspapers called him “Korea’s Rasputin” (Rasputin - a historical figure of Russia, who proclaimed himself a monk with divine powers. He was revered by Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, and dominated Russian politics in the early 20th century).

This caused discontent among close aides to President Park Chung-hee. Mr. Park was assassinated by Kim Jae-gyu, director of the KCIA, in October 1979. In court, Mr. Kim testified that one of the main motives for the assassination was that the president had failed to stop Choi Tae-min’s corruption and “failed to keep his daughter away from him.”

Ms. Park Geun-hye at the Blue House in the 1970s with President Park Chung-hee (left) and Mr. Choi Tae-min (right). Photo: KoreanTimes

However, Ms. Park is said to be haunted by Mr. Choi's thoughts, according toKorean Joongang Daily. In a secret document from the US embassy in South Korea released by WikiLeaks in 2011, US Ambassador Alexander Vershbow warned that “there are rumors that an elderly pastor had complete control over Ms. Park’s body and mind during her formative years, and that his children had profited from huge assets.” Ms. Park Geun-hye denied the allegation at the time.

Mr. Choi died in 1994. This is considered the time when President Park Geun-hye began to have close contact with Ms. Choi Soon-sil.

To the descendants of “Rasputin”

Ms. Choi Soon-sil is the daughter of Mr. Choi Tae-min's fifth wife.Korean TimesAccording to observers, the relationship between Ms. Park and Ms. Choi is closer than that of real sisters. Ms. Park's dependence on the Choi family not only did not disappear after Mr. Choi's death, but on the contrary, it increased.

According toKorean TimesAfter Ms. Park became a lawmaker in 2008, Ms. Choi always accompanied Ms. Park on overseas visits, despite not having any official position. Ms. Choi was also present in all business activities related to Ms. Park.

Ms. Choi Soon-sil (left) with Ms. Park Geun-hye at an event for students at Hanyang University in Seoul. Photo: KoreanTimes.

Ms. Choi's ex-husband, Mr. Chung Yoon-hoi, is also a close friend of President Park Geun-hye. He was a close aide to Ms. Park when she was a lawmaker. The couple have been accused of using their influence for corruption. In December 2014, Mr. Park Gwan-chun, a former senior officer at the Blue House, said before he was arrested for leaking documents to the press: "In terms of power in the current government, Ms. Choi is first, Mr. Chung (Ms. Choi's husband) is second, and last is President Park."

Choi Soon-sil's mystique and religious devotion are causing much concern among South Koreans, according to the newspaper.Straitstimes. Ms. Choi has been acting like a shaman due to her father’s strong influence. Many lawmakers have expressed concern that Ms. Park may be bewitched by a “religious cult” and influence decisions that affect the country. One opposition lawmaker described Ms. Choi Soon-sil’s influence on Korean politics as a terrifying “theocracy.”

Although Ms. Choi did not hold any official position, she was the person behind the manipulation of power in the government. She had the power to edit the president's speeches and advise the president on everything from small issues such as daily attire to important national issues such as the unification of Korea.

According to PLO