The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    South Korea speeds up full-fledged deployment of US anti-missile battery

  • 3

    INTERVIEWHow ATEEZ achieved worldwide success

  • 5

    ANALYSISTesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK

  • 7

    Apple Pay service limited by lack of NFC terminals

  • 9

    4 young Nigerian siblings killed in house fire in Ansan

  • 11

    Foreign minister hosts Iftar dinner for Muslims in Korea

  • 13

    Korean police search for 2 Kazakhstanis who fled airport

  • 15

    Samsung chief inspects production plants in China for first time in 3 years

  • 17

    Unrest on the Island of World Peace in 1903

  • 19

    Putin says Russia will station tactical nukes in Belarus

  • 2

    Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance'

  • 4

    Kakao seeks to bolster SM's global presence as new owner

  • 6

    Firstborns account for record-high 63% of newborns

  • 8

    Actor Yoo Ah-in appears for questioning over alleged drug use

  • 10

    Chun Doo-hwan's grandson to apologize to victims of Gwangju massacre

  • 12

    Busan aims to win hearts of developing nations in Expo 2030 bid

  • 14

    Bank failures and rescue test Yellen's decades of experience

  • 16

    From mines to mobility: 140-year-old partnership between Germany and Korea

  • 18

    Cook praises China's innovation, long history of cooperation on China visit

  • 20

    Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Tue, March 28, 2023 | 05:28
-------------------------
Prosecutors raid Mir, K-Sports foundations
Posted : 2016-10-26 17:12
Updated : 2016-10-27 11:57
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Investigators load boxes of documents and computers which they secured during a raid of the K-Sports Foundation, which is linked to President Park Geun-hye's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, in southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap
Investigators load boxes of documents and computers which they secured during a raid of the K-Sports Foundation, which is linked to President Park Geun-hye's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, in southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho


Prosecutors raided two foundations and the nation's largest business lobby group, Wednesday, in their investigation of a corruption scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye's confidant, Choi Soon-sil.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it raided nine places, including the offices of the foundations and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), to find out whether the former were used as fundraising vehicles for people close to President Park as is widely suspected.

The move comes 27 days after Spec Watch Korea, a civic group, filed a complaint with the prosecution against those involved in the establishment and operation of the foundations.

Yet concerns have been raised about whether the investigation will uncover the truth, because the prosecutors' actions have come belatedly. Many are concerned that they might have already missed the golden time to collect critical evidence, as they raided the places about a month after the suspicions about the foundations started to emerge. Amid mounting public anger, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to have an independent counsel investigate the case.

What pushed the prosecution to finally take action was an avalanche of evidence of illegal activities committed under President Park's watch. Local media found computer files showing that Choi had access to a great deal of government information, including some that is considered highly classified or are state secrets.

Park slips into biggest crisis ever
Park slips into biggest crisis ever
2016-10-26 17:34  |  National

Investigators load boxes of documents and computers which they secured during a raid of the K-Sports Foundation, which is linked to President Park Geun-hye's confidant, Choi Soon-sil, in southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap
A memorial stone dedicated to the late President Park Chung-hee, the father of President Park Geun-hye, stands in front of the Federation of Korean Industries, which was raided in a probe into a corruption scandal, Wednesday. / Yonhap

Analysts say that this might be just the tip of a far larger iceberg. According to Lee Sung-han, a former secretary general of the Mir Foundation, Choi led a secret advisory group to President Park, peddling enormous influence over various state affairs, including who to appoint as ministers. Lee also said that Choi received direct reports from Chung Ho-sung, a presidential personal secretary, almost every day and shared information with members of the group.


If the allegations are true, those involved could be prosecuted for violating the law governing the security of confidential presidential records.

Among the raided places was the office of Cha Eun-taek, who worked as the visual director for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. He is known to be one of the group members.

Prosecutors also raided the office of The Blue K, a paper company set up by Choi. She is thought to have used it to funnel money from the Mir and K-Sports foundations without leaving a trace.

She is also suspected of moving all the money eventually to other paper companies she set up in Germany. According to Taunus Zeitung, a German local media outlet, there are 15 companies under her name, including Widec Sports.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are analyzing Choi's old personal computer after receiving it from JTBC, a local broadcaster, which first reported that she reviewed and edited President Park's speeches ahead of the dates of their delivery.

The FKI raised about 80 billion won ($72 million) in just two months to fund the Mir and K-Sports foundations; and it took only a single day to get approval for their establishment from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism – usually this would take weeks.

In a surprise statement at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday, President Park partly admitted that Choi was secretly involved in state affairs, including editing her speeches in the early years of her presidency. But evidence indicates that Choi's intervention behind the curtain may have continued for far longer.



Emailmj6c2@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1[ANALYSIS] Tesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK ANALYSISTesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK
2Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs
3Families of foreign construction workers can receive retirement pay: court Families of foreign construction workers can receive retirement pay: court
4US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations
5Indonesian investment minister promotes EV cooperation with Korea Indonesian investment minister promotes EV cooperation with Korea
6Nongshim plans to build plant in eastern US region Nongshim plans to build plant in eastern US region
7Korean crypto investors want Do Kwon punished in USKorean crypto investors want Do Kwon punished in US
8Gimpo-China flights recover to pre-pandemic levels Gimpo-China flights recover to pre-pandemic levels
9Right-wing Japanese support Seoul-Tokyo ties: Korean envoy to JapanRight-wing Japanese support Seoul-Tokyo ties: Korean envoy to Japan
10Gyeonggi police investigate dog farm after finding dead dogs, animal bones Gyeonggi police investigate dog farm after finding dead dogs, animal bones
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol' Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol'
2Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3 Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3
3Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour
4Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance' Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance'
5[INTERVIEW] How ATEEZ achieved worldwide success INTERVIEWHow ATEEZ achieved worldwide success
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group