[CARD NEWS] It is time for President Park Geun-hye to answer us
1) It has been a week since the nation was first riveted by a scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, a woman who wielded power over state affairs behind the scenes.
One by one, new discoveries are continuously revealed. The stream of accusation never seems to stop.
2) This time, it is the so-called “Blue House free pass.”
The main gate of the Blue House is under heavy security.
Even ministers must show their passes and go through a facial recognition system to pass through the gate.
Allegations have recently surfaced that Choi easily passed the gate in a car driven by an administrative official of the Blue House.
3) It is not surprising given that she was involved in personnel appointments and accessed foreign confidential information, in addition to editing presidential speeches.
4) This is not the only new allegation she faces.
Do you remember Linda Kim, an arms lobbyist?
Kim, who is currently under arrest for using methamphetamine, was convicted in a corruption scandal in connection with the Baekdu Project to introduce reconnaissance planes capable of electronic eavesdropping in 1996, during the Kim Young-sam administration.
5) Recently, rumors spread that Choi had even influenced a major arms deal using her ties with Kim, as Choi and Kim maintained a friendship since 2000.
6) Moreover, an argument has been posed that there was a ‘real of the real power’ behind Choi.
“Soon-sil worked in the field while Soon-deuk gave the instructions.”
The woman of the real power, reportedly, is Choi Soon-deuk, an older sister of Choi Soon-sil.
7) An allegation against the daughter of Choi Soon-deuk, Jang Si-ho, has also been brought along with this recent argument.
Last June, Jang was accused of receiving unfair treatment when she established the Korea Winter Sports Elite Center and secured a 670 million won ($582,190) budget from the Ministry of Sports and Culture.
8) When Jang was asked about the allegation, she shifted the responsibility for the center to director of ice sports and an executive director of the center, Lee Gyu-hyuk.
“Jang told me that I did it all when she was asked about who managed the center. I wondered what she really meant then.” - Lee Gyu-Hyuk
9) Choi Soon-sil, Choi Soon-deuk, and the younger sister Choi Soon-cheon
Total assets of the Choi sisters are known to be almost 300 billion won, as they expanded their business in various fields based on real estate.
Now it seems hard to find where the Choi sisters’ influence has not reached, along with the Blue House, in Korean society.
10) President Park Geun-hye takes the central part in these allegations.
The essence of the scandal is not about Choi Soon-sil, but Park’s breach of national discipline.
Many are waiting to hear the words “investigate me” spoken by President Park, who currently remains silent.
11) “If Park drags her feet on allowing the truth to come out, her approval rating — now hovering below 10 percent — will plunge further. She must make clear what really happened between her and Choi and how much Choi meddled in the administration. That should be explained before the appointment of a new and more powerful prime minister or the establishment of a neutral cabinet.” - an editorial from the JoongAng Ilbo
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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