By Kang Seung-woo
Cheong Wa Dae denied Friday a news report that a former aide to President Park Geun-hye had meddled in state affairs, vowing to take legal action.
The Segye Ilbo claimed Chung Yoon-hoi regularly met 10 officials of the presidential office, including three of Park’s closest secretaries, to discuss issues involving the presidential office and Park.
The report, citing an internal document from the presidential office dated Jan. 6, also said Chung had spread a rumor that presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon would be replaced.
Chung was the president’s chief of staff when Park was a lawmaker and was rumored to have been with her when the Sewol sank on April 16.
Cheong Wa Dae called the report a collection of groundless rumors circulated in the financial community.
“When hearing those rumors at that time, we did not take any action because the allegations in the report were based on rumors,” said presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook.
Min added that the chief of staff also received a verbal report on the rumors.
“Cheong Wa Dae will file a complaint against the newspaper,” he said.
Despite the denial, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) claimed that allegations that a secret group of aides was controlling Cheong Wa Dae were true.
“The 10 members of the reported group and those involved in writing up the document must testify before a National Assembly steering committee,” said spokesman Kim Sung-soo.
“Our party will focus on this issue.”
On Monday, Cheong Wa Dae denied another report from the daily that a division of the presidential office had launched an investigation into Chung who allegedly wielded his influence in the appointments of high-ranking government officials.
The presidential office has been extremely sensitive when it comes to Chung, especially with regard to his alleged relations with President Park.
It filed a complaint against Tatsuya Kato, the former Seoul bureau chief of Japan’s Sankei Shimbun, for reporting allegations about the relationship.
The Japanese journalist denied he was trying to defame Park.
The issue has been the talk of the town with the NPAD decrying the situation as an international shame.