By Jung Min-ho
A plastic surgeon known to have had a close relationship with Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that resulted in President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, also had close contacts in the presidential office.
According to sources from the legal and medical sectors, Tuesday, an investigation team led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo has found that Kim Young-jae, the plastic surgeon who treated Choi for years, frequently communicated with Jeong Ho-seong, a former presidential secretary.
The investigation team is looking into whether Kim was involved in the corruption scandal involving President Park and her confidant Choi.
Kim, who gave Choi 136 cosmetic procedures from October 2013 to this August, has been accused of receiving special favors from the Park administration thanks to his close ties with Choi.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the doctor accompanied President Park on trips to four countries in the Middle East in March. He has also been accused of tagging along on her other overseas visits. Given his mediocre credentials as a doctor, many suspect that Choi was behind these opportunities.
In another exceptional case, Kim was appointed as an advisor to Seoul National University Hospital's (SNUH) Gangnam center in July. Many SNUH professors criticized the decision because he had neither a Ph.D. nor any impressive achievements as a medical doctor. Two weeks later, the hospital abruptly canceled the appointment.
The surprising appointment was made under SNUH President Suh Chang-suk, who served as the President's doctor from September 2014 to this February. Many suspected Suh was just doing what he was told by Cheong Wa Dae.
Suh has also been accused of forcing SNUH doctors to use a medical thread developed by Y Jacobs Medical, a medical device company owned by Kim and his wife.
In an email to SNUH officials, Suh admitted that he made a request to expedite the process of adopting the thread, but insisted it was not to give Kim any special favors.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reportedly helped the company's development project for the thread last year by providing 1.5 billion won ($1.3 million).
Kim is also one of the people who might be able to explain the whereabouts of President Park during the first seven hours after the Sewol ferry began sinking on April 16, 2014.
Her mysterious absence has created a flurry of rumors, including that she was undergoing a cosmetic medical procedure. Both Cheong Wa Dae and Kim denied the allegations.
With the direct link between him and Jeong discovered, many hope the special prosecutor will find out whether such procedures were indeed conducted during the crucial missing hours.
Jeong is known as one of key presidential aides controlled by Choi. On Sunday, the prosecution said that he played a major role in giving critical state information to her, saying 236 audio files of phone conversations between the two proves this accusation.
Over the past two weeks, the independent counsel team has been reviewing all evidence provided by the prosecution before questioning key suspects in the scandal.
A plastic surgeon known to have had a close relationship with Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that resulted in President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, also had close contacts in the presidential office.
According to sources from the legal and medical sectors, Tuesday, an investigation team led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo has found that Kim Young-jae, the plastic surgeon who treated Choi for years, frequently communicated with Jeong Ho-seong, a former presidential secretary.
The investigation team is looking into whether Kim was involved in the corruption scandal involving President Park and her confidant Choi.
Kim, who gave Choi 136 cosmetic procedures from October 2013 to this August, has been accused of receiving special favors from the Park administration thanks to his close ties with Choi.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the doctor accompanied President Park on trips to four countries in the Middle East in March. He has also been accused of tagging along on her other overseas visits. Given his mediocre credentials as a doctor, many suspect that Choi was behind these opportunities.
In another exceptional case, Kim was appointed as an advisor to Seoul National University Hospital's (SNUH) Gangnam center in July. Many SNUH professors criticized the decision because he had neither a Ph.D. nor any impressive achievements as a medical doctor. Two weeks later, the hospital abruptly canceled the appointment.
The surprising appointment was made under SNUH President Suh Chang-suk, who served as the President's doctor from September 2014 to this February. Many suspected Suh was just doing what he was told by Cheong Wa Dae.
Suh has also been accused of forcing SNUH doctors to use a medical thread developed by Y Jacobs Medical, a medical device company owned by Kim and his wife.
In an email to SNUH officials, Suh admitted that he made a request to expedite the process of adopting the thread, but insisted it was not to give Kim any special favors.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reportedly helped the company's development project for the thread last year by providing 1.5 billion won ($1.3 million).
Kim is also one of the people who might be able to explain the whereabouts of President Park during the first seven hours after the Sewol ferry began sinking on April 16, 2014.
Her mysterious absence has created a flurry of rumors, including that she was undergoing a cosmetic medical procedure. Both Cheong Wa Dae and Kim denied the allegations.
With the direct link between him and Jeong discovered, many hope the special prosecutor will find out whether such procedures were indeed conducted during the crucial missing hours.
Jeong is known as one of key presidential aides controlled by Choi. On Sunday, the prosecution said that he played a major role in giving critical state information to her, saying 236 audio files of phone conversations between the two proves this accusation.
Over the past two weeks, the independent counsel team has been reviewing all evidence provided by the prosecution before questioning key suspects in the scandal.
