Secret confidante defends impeached S Korean president

SEOUL South Korea’s notorious presidential confidante Choi Soon-sil offered a fierce defense of herself and impeached President Park Geun-hye Monday, as Seoul’s Constitutional Court again convened to decide whether to oust Park in line with Dec. 9’s parliamentary vote. Park has failed to turn up at any of this month’s hearings despite vowing to prove her innocence after state prosecutors named her as a suspect in a wide-ranging power abuse scandal. Having been vilified by the media and millions of street protesters since October, Choi relented following her initial refusal to attend while her own trial is ongoing. Park’s old friend raised her voice when being questioned by a parliamentary impeachment panel over claims that she and the president forced local companies to pay tens of millions of dollars in return for favors. “I have never gained any benefits or privileges. I think it is a jump of logic,” Choi insisted, according to Yonhap News Agency. She also refused to answer some questions, which she dismissed as “loaded,” and accused investigators of “coercive” tactics in building their bribery case. Choi’s daughter – an alleged beneficiary of her mother’s influence – is currently being held in Denmark, where officials are yet to decide whether to extradite her as requested by Seoul’s justice ministry. Regarding claims that she wielded undue influence over state affairs, Choi admitted only that she helped edit speeches by putting more feeling into them and otherwise just supported Park on a personal level. With a decision on the suspended president’s fate expected by June, Park is reportedly considering making a public statement to defend herself ahead of the Lunar New Year – even though she was criticized for using the presidential platform to address reporters at the start of the year.