By Choi Ha-young
Curious about the suspicious medical treatments involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil, a woman impersonated a journalist to interview the head of a clinic Choi had often visited.
The woman, surnamed Shin, 21, requested an interview with the head of Chaum clinic Lee Dong-mo, Monday, introducing herself as a journalist of a cable news channel, according to Gangnam Police Station, Thursday.
That evening, Lee talked with Shin for around 30 minutes mainly about the stem cell treatment Park allegedly received there. Soon, he began to get suspicious since she was ignorant about certain professional terms, and he asked for her business card.
She hesitated, saying she left it in her car in the underground parking lot. But when Lee followed her to the parking lot, Shin did not even have a car there. She then said she was not a journalist but a friend of Choi, but Lee called the police.
Shin, an office worker, told police she wanted to know more about the allegations involving Park and Choi.
The police decided not to charge her criminally, referring the case to summary trial, which is conducted for minor offenses. “It is unclear if she interfered with the business of the clinic,” the police said. “She seemed to be motivated by curiosity.”
The clinic has been under fire for prescribing medicine to the President under Choi’s name.