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Net widens in S. Korea corruption scandal
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SOUTH Korea yesterday issued an arrest warrant for a daughter of the woman at the center of President Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal and investigators raided the National Pension Service over possible links to the affair.
A special prosecutor’s investigation started yesterday into the influence-peddling scandal that threatens to make Park, 64, the first democratically-elected leader to leave office early in disgrace.
Parliament has voted to impeach Park, a decision that must be confirmed or overturned by the Constitutional Court.
A court issued an arrest warrant yesterday for Chung Yoo-ra, the 20-year-old daughter of Choi Soon-sil, Park’s long-time friend who is in custody and on trial for fraud and abuse of power.
Chung’s lawyer said she is in Germany, where she flew with her mother and child in September, according to media reports.
“We have Chung’s arrest warrant on several charges including obstruction of justice and we plan to request the cooperation of German prosecutors based on these charges,” Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor’s office, told a news conference.
Lee said authorities are working to invalidate Chung’s South Korean passport and have asked German prosecutors for information on her whereabouts and financial assets.
Chung, an equestrian athlete who competed in the 2014 Asian Games and won a gold medal in a team competition, sparked public ire earlier this year when it emerged that she had received special treatment from the prestigious Ewha Womans University.
Her admission to the university was subsequently canceled. She was also stripped of her high school diploma for fabrication of grades and attendance.
Yesterday, investigators raided the office of the world’s third-largest pension fund, the National Pension Service, over possible links to the scandal.
The special prosecutor’s office is looking into NPS’ decision last year to back the US$8 billion merger of two Samsung Group affiliates, which was criticized for strengthening the founder family’s control of the group at the expense of other shareholders. The NPS was a major shareholder of both companies.
Investigators are also examining whether Samsung’s support of a business and foundations backed by Choi may have been connected to NPS’ support of the deal, a prosecution official said.
An office at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which administers the NPS, was also raided yesterday.
Park’s possible impeachment has upended politics in South Korea, where, if she leaves officer early, an election will be held in 60 days.
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