Questioning of Park's key aides proves futile

Kim Ki-choon, right, former presidential chief of staff, speaks during the second round of the National Assembly hearings on the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confident Choi Soon-sil, Wednesday.
/ Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun

By Jun Ji-hye

Lawmakers threw a barrage of questions at former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and other witnesses in the second round of televised National Assembly hearings into the unfolding presidential corruption scandal, but fell short of getting any concrete answers, Wednesday.

In the parliamentary inquiry into the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil, most replies from the witnesses were "I don't know."

With prime suspect Choi absent, lawmakers did not do much except shout and scold witnesses. Choi has refused to take the witness stand citing health issues.

Regarding what President Park was doing while the ferry Sewol was sinking on April 16, 2014, Kim maintained a calm attitude, consistently saying "That is untrue" or "I don't know."

He expressed an apology only for his failure to properly assist the President.

Kim, who held the chief of staff post from August 2013 to February 2015, was one of Park's closest aides and is known to have exerted immense influence on her administration.

The focus of the hearing was supposed to be on him as a witness, Choi and her daughter Chung Yoo-ra, and former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo, none of whom attended.

The hearings are part of the Assembly's ongoing investigation into the scandal, which is being conducted separately from a probe by the prosecution, and one by an independent counsel.

Choi was indicted Nov. 20 for allegedly exerting undue influence on state affairs and conglomerates by using her relationship with the President. Her family members including her sister as well as her friends, such as commercial director Cha Eun-taek, are also suspected to have benefited from this. Prosecutors said Park was also an accomplice.

"I do not know what happened at Park's residence on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster," Kim said. "I only know that the President was at Cheong Wa Dae."

He said he did not know what happened in the President's residence, saying, "Nobody told me. I do not know what time she woke up and what time she did her hair."

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On the question of why the presidential office purchased various medications including placenta injections that are known to be effective in preventing aging, Kim also said, "I don't know about that."

Regarding the controversy surrounding Park's "seven missing hours" while the ferry was sinking, Cheong Wa Dae has said she was working at her residence, not in her office. It added that the President received about 30 briefings and issued directives related to the tragedy as it unfolded.

But rumors are still abounding that Park was receiving cosmetic procedures or doing something she cannot reveal while the ship sank, killing 304 passengers, mostly high school students on a field trip.

Another suspicion was raised Tuesday that she spent about 90 minutes getting her hair styled by a popular hairdresser between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the day. The maritime incident took place at about 8:50 a.m.

Kim also repeated his earlier position that he did not know Choi Soon-sil until before the scandal broke out in late October.

"You keep asking me if I know her. If I had known her, there would have been telephone call records. Prosecutors can find this out," he said.

But Cha, who is alleged to have used his connections with Choi to gain illist profits, gave different testimony, indicating that Kim and Choi knew each other.

Cha said a meeting he had with Kim in 2014 at Cheong Wa Dae took place at Choi's request.

"Choi told me that Kim was going to call me, and then Kim actually called me," Cha said.

Kim denied Cha's statement, saying Cha might have been confused. Kim said he called Cha upon the President's order.

As lawmakers complained about Kim's responses, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the ruling Saenuri Party said such an insincere attitude that ignored the people's right to know will only cause more public anger.

"If such an attitude continues, the Assembly can file a lawsuit against any witness for refusing to testify," the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, former Vice Culture Minister Kim Chong, who is known to have been very close to Choi, denied allegations that Kim Ki-choon requested he provide favors to Choi's daughter. The vice minister said he only knew about Choi through an acquaintance after he became the vice culture minister. He also denied the allegation that he sought to pressure swimming champion Park Tae-hwan to give up trying to compete in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, adding the suspicion is attributable to a misunderstanding.

The vice culture minister, however, admitted expressing discontent with figure skating star Kim Yu-na, but declined to comment on the reasons.