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‘Park Geun-hye pressured CJ to remove vice chairman'
By Jung Min-ho
Prosecutors have concluded that President Park Geun-hye conspired in additional abuses of power by key figures in a major influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil.
According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Sunday, the President conspired with Cho Won-dong, former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, to pressure CJ Group Co-Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik to remove Lee Mi-kyung from CJ vice chair post in 2013.
Lee, a daughter of CJ Group founder Lee Maeng-hee, led the company's media business at that time. Under her watch, CJ produced the movie "Masquerade" and TV program "Yeouido Teletubbies" — both which many believed hit the nerve of right-wing politicians, including the President.
Lee did not leave the company's management immediately. But in September 2014, she fled to the United States for questionable reasons and has stayed there since.
The prosecution has indicted Cho on charges of attempted abuse of power, saying the President was an accomplice.
According to prosecutors, the President also colluded with Kim Chong, former vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, to pressure Samsung and the Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), an affiliate of the ministry, to cough up money for a youth education center for winter sports owned by Jang Si-ho, Choi's niece.
Prosecutors said Samsung and the GKL ended up "donating" a total of 1.82 billion won ($1.5 million) to the center.
Prosecutors noted that the money was the main reason Choi and Jang established the center and former presidential secretary An Chong-bum was also an accomplice.
Kim was indicted on charges of abuse of power, coercion and mishandling state information.
The prosecution also concluded that the tablet PC, in which information about critical state affairs was found, belonged to Choi, who initially claimed she did not even know how to use the device.
From March 2013 to this November, the prosecution said, Choi entered Cheong Wa Dae at least 10 times by a car provided by the presidential office, with the help of former senior presidential secretary Jeong Ho-seong.
However, prosecutors said they could not confirm the exact number because Choi did not identify herself every time she entered Cheong Wa Dae.
Jeong also played a key role in giving presidential documents to Choi. According to the prosecution, the documents contained critical information, including the nation's military, diplomacy, cabinet minister candidates, presidential speeches and more.
The prosecution said it handed all the evidence to Park Young-soo, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the scandal.
