South Korea closes two non-profit funds amid scandal.

(Baonghean.vn) - On March 20, the South Korean Ministry of Culture announced that it had revoked the licenses granted to two non-profit foundations, amidst the political scandal that ousted President Park Geun-hye.

Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye greets supporters upon returning to her Seoul residence on March 12. Photo: Reuters.

Park was impeached on March 10 after the South Korean Constitutional Court upheld the National Assembly's vote to impeach her on charges of colluding with her close friend Choi Soon-sil to pressure large corporations to donate money to the Mir and K-Sports foundations, which were established to support the president's policy initiatives.

Park is also accused of allowing Choi to exert inappropriate influence on national affairs. Park is scheduled to appear before the prosecutor's office for her first interrogation tomorrow (March 21).

Both Park and Choi currently deny any wrongdoing. Park has apologized for not carefully assessing her relationship with Choi.

The South Korean Ministry of Culture, which licensed the two foundations, suspects ulterior motives behind the corporate donations to the two funds, and this issue is currently being considered by investigators and prosecutors.

The ministry said in a statement: "It turns out that the businesses funding these funds were not contributing voluntarily for the benefit of the community, but rather under pressure or for the purpose of bribery."

The South Korean Ministry of Culture also cited a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which found that these non-profit organizations were operating for personal gain under the control of Choi, a close friend of Park.

Park, 65, lost her presidential immunity after being impeached and could now face criminal charges of bribery, extortion, and abuse of power.

The Mir Foundation (“Dragon”), established in October 2015, aims to promote cultural exchange with other countries. Meanwhile, the K-Sports Foundation was created last January and is involved in sports-related projects. The Korean Ministry of Culture stated, “The swift dissolution of these foundations will benefit the community amidst the social and national turmoil caused by them.”

The ministry also confirmed it would initiate the process of dissolving the funds and then make a decision regarding the funds' assets, depending on the outcome of the related court proceedings. Both funds whose operating licenses were revoked have declined to comment.

Thu Giang

(According to Reuters)