TOKYO (Sputnik) — South Korea has been shaken by a major scandal, involving Park, two her former aides and Choi Soon-sil, a friend and "shadow adviser" of the president. Park's surroundings were suspected of being accomplices in several crimes.
The media outlet added that Cha was also suspected of having embezzled significant amounts of money to pay off his debts.
On October 24, media reported that Choi allegedly received drafts of the president’s speeches before they were publicly delivered, though she had never held a public post. The following day, Park officially admitted asking Choi for advice on speeches and public relations issues, and apologized for "causing public concern." Choi is also accused of using her ties with Park to extract millions of dollars in donations from big companies into two non-profit foundations she controlled.
The situation had already cause large-scale protests around the country, with hundreds of thousands of people demanding Park to resign. The South Korean parliament is expected to discuss the issue of impeachment in the beginning of December.
