Rep. Park indicted for defaming people close to President

By Kim Se-jeong

Rep. Park Jie-won

The prosecution on Friday indicted a prominent opposition lawmaker on charges of defaming three people close to President Park Geun-hye.

According to the prosecution, Rep. Park Jie-won of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy spoke “derogatorily” about Lee Jae-man, a presidential secretary, Park Jie-man, the President’s brother, and Chung Yoon-hoe, an aide to Park, during a radio interview in June.

Speaking about the President’s governing style, the lawmaker said a team called “man-man-hoe” is wielding great influence behind the scenes to intervene in the President’s state affairs.

“They are not known to the public, but are very powerful,” Park said.

Man-man-hoe was derived from the names of the three.

Park protested the prosecution’s move.

“I only talked about a circulating rumor that man-man-hoe is exerting a great influence in the presidential office. I do not understand the prosecution’s decision to indict me,” Park said.

The lawmaker is also accused of defaming President Park in April 2012 who was then a senior leader of the ruling Saenuri Party. Speaking with a local Internet podcast, Park urged the prosecution to probe into President Park, who is a close friend of lobbyist Park Tae-gyu, who was then being investigated for his involvement in Busan Mutual Savings Bank’s bribery scandal. Park was accused of bribing a number of officials at Cheong Wa Dae in an attempt to save the financially-trouble bank.