Scandal-maker Choi is hit-maker for TV

A scene from “Ssulzun” / Courtesy of JTBC

By Yun Suh-young

Choi Soon-sil, the close confidant of President Park Geun-hye who caused a national uproar for her deep involvement in state affairs to abuse power for personal gain, is a hit-maker in the entertainment realm.

The so-called "Choi Soon-sil gate," reminding the people of U.S. President Nixon's Watergate scandal in 1972, is boosting viewer ratings for local TV programs. By airing episodes related to Choi or TV personalities parodying Choi, local broadcasters are having a heyday, enjoying an unusual boost in viewership.

“We Want to Know About That,” aired by SBS on Saturdays, dedicated its entire one-hour program to the history of the relationships of Choi and her father Choi Tae-min, who are known to have controlled President Park from behind the curtain for over 40 years. It closely examined Choi Tae-min, a shady religious leader, through testimonies of those who knew him, including Kim Jae-kyu who assassinated President Park's father, Park Chung-hee, and Park Chung-hee himself.

Kim was revealed to have kept guard against Choi claiming he had seduced the younger Park through hypnotism.

A scnene from “Gag Concert” / Courtesy of KBS

It was the most-watched program for its time slot at 11 p.m. with viewer ratings exceeding 14 percent. The previous week, SBS aired an in-depth investigation of the "seven missing hours of the President" on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, seeing an all-time high 19 percent viewer rating.

Meanwhile, "Ssulzun" which airs every Thursday on JTBC with panel members discussing the hottest topics every week saw its highest viewer ratings last Thursday when it aired an in-depth episode discussing the President's scandal with current and former politicians. The panel surprised viewers with an impromptu telephone interview with former opposition leader Moon Jae-in. Its viewer ratings peaked at 8.56 percent, which was the highest in its timeslot.

JTBC's "Spotlight" also aired a program on Sunday about the "doorknob trio," the presidential secretaries accused of having served not the President, but Choi Soon-sil and her ex-husband Chung Yoon-hoi.

On "My Little Television" aired on MBC on Saturdays, TV personalities Kim Goo-ra and Cho Young-goo parodied Choi Soon-sil. On tvN’s "SNL Korea" aired earlier this month, comedians Kim Min-kyo and Lee Soo-ji parodied the attire of Choi, competing to look most like her. However, after the program was aired, the producer was replaced, raising suspicions he was fired by order of Cheong Wa Dae.

However, MBC denied the rumor Thursday that the replacement had anything to do with the government, claiming “he was moved because he was put in charge of a new show.”