The sprawling corruption scandal that rocked South Korea
It all started with a tablet computer.
A
scandal which has re-shaped South Korean politics and rocked the
country's elite -- overshadowing even North Korean missile threats --
began when reporters at CNN affiliate JTBC found a computer belonging to Choi Soon-sil late last year.
On
it they found evidence that Choi, a close friend and unofficial adviser
of then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye, had been receiving secret
documents and intervening in state affairs.
On Friday, the resulting scandal claimed its latest scalp, as a court jailed Lee Jae-yong, the heir to mega-conglomerate Samsung, for five years on bribery and corruption charges.
Choi-gate
Park's relationship with Choi and her father Choi Tae-min has long been controversial in Korea.
The
elder Choi first became close with Park following the death of her
mother at the hands of a North Korean assassin in 1974, while Park's
father, dictatorPark Chung-hee, was president.
Choi
founded the Eternal Life Church, declared himself a modern day Buddha
and called for all people to strive for eternal life.
A confidential 2007 US diplomatic cable, published by wikileaks,
referenced rumors that Choi had "complete control over Park's body and
soul during her formative years and that his children accumulated
enormous wealth as a result."
After
her father died in 1994 at age 82, Choi Soon-sil succeeded him as
church leader and spiritual mentor to Park, as the former first daughter
became a political force of her own.
"The
family had an extraordinary influence over Park Geun-hye for
essentially her entire adult life," David Kang, a Korea expert at the
University of Southern California, told CNN last year.
Though
she never held an official position, revelations showed that Choi
Soon-sil was given advance access to presidential speeches and other
documents.
In June, a Seoul court sentenced Choi to three years in prison for obstruction of duty
by using her influence to solicit academic favors for her daughter from
Ewha Womans University. Two university officials were also sentenced to
between 18 and 24 months in prison.
 |
| Protesters In Seoul |
No comments:
Post a Comment