By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Shin Jeong-ah and her ``sugar daddy'' Byeon Yang-kyoon were just ``comrades through art,'' Shin claimed through her lawyer.
According to the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, which had an interview with Shin's lawyer Park Jong-rok, on a plane from Japan to Seoul Sunday, Shin and Byeon had the same point of view on art. Shin told Park that Byeon, the former top presidential aide, was a Yale University alumnus and they quickly bonded when they shared ideas that Korea lacks support in the art field.
She said there was no romantic relationship with him, and Byeon did not abuse his political power to help Shin gain sponsorships or land important positions.
``Byeon is a very powerful person, and if he really intended to help me I would have made much more money. For instance, Korea Development Bank has 28 billion won in its budget for art sponsorship per year, but I managed to only get a mere 280 million won,'' she allegedly told Park.
Shin also denied having been financially sponsored by other people. She has led an extravagant life before and after the scandal broke. She was once called ``woman in Hermes,'' for she wore and gave away the French luxury brand products often. She explained to Park that those were items she bought at duty free shops and most of her belongings were cheap. She said she makes around 70 to 80 million won a year and her mother often gave her millions of won, enough for her to make a living.
Park said Shin's arrival in Korea is to comply with the prosecution's investigation and dispel rumors involving her.
Park said she was able to sleep for only two to three hours a day in the United States. Shin told him she, a single woman, felt ashamed that people mentioned her sex life. She also made a record of what she felt, which she later would like to publish.
He also said Shin was in the U.S. to see John Tracy, who was a part-time instructor at Yale University and her personal tutor. She allegedly delegated all her work related to the paper, and feels that Tracy duped her. Shin hired a private eye to look for him, but no contact was made. She also tried to get in touch with her supervisory tutor at the university, but couldn't reach him.
Shin stayed at the San Carlos Hotel, a four-star hotel in Manhattan, and is believed to have spent tens of millions of won during her stay.
Park, an office neighbor of Byeon's lawyer Kim Young-jin, said Shin called him and asked him to be her solicitor. Park consulted with Kim, who asked him to do her the favor, as she seemed to be in trouble.
According to Shin, she has handed in all legitimate documents for her employment and the only thing that matters is her doctoral paper plagiarism, which will be verified by the prosecution, he added.