Daughter of woman central to SKorea scandal returns to Seoul
She is probably the most loathed 20-year-old in South Korea, the privileged daughter of the woman at the center of a political scandal that brought down a president.
After several months in detention in Denmark, Chung Yoo-ra returned to her home country in a hoodie and handcuffs on Wednesday to be questioned about bribery allegations involving corporate giant Samsung as well as her studies at a prestigious Korean university. Prosecutors also hope her extradition will provide them evidence to expand their case against former President Park Geun-hye, who was removed from office in March and is now being tried on charges of bribery, extortion and abuse of power.
“Speaking for myself, I feel wrongfully accused, ” Chung told a throng of journalists at Incheon International Airport amid a barrage of camera flashes.
She was then escorted to a prosecution office in Seoul for questioning about the corruption scandal that centers on Park and Chung’s mother, Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of the former president.
Some of the reasons for the anger swirling around Chung:
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CONFIDANTE’S DAUGHTER
Chung is the only child of Choi, who has been charged with taking tens of millions of dollars from companies in bribes and through extortion and also manipulating state affairs from the shadows during Park’s presidency. Her parents are divorced and her father, Chung Yoon-hoe, was Park’s top aide for more than a decade before she became president in 2013.
Chung was part of the South Korean squad that won the team equestrian gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games and had been training in Germany, living there with her infant son and mother, when the corruption allegations emerged last October.
Choi returned to Seoul to face the investigation, while Chung sought refuge in Denmark. She was arrested in the northern city of Aalborg in January and fought extradition, but a Danish ruled in favor of South Korean prosecutors.
Chung told reporters at the airport on Wednesday that she didn’t know any key details about the corruption scandal or her mother’s dealings with Park. She said she plans to eventually bring her infant son, who is still in Denmark, to South Korea, but didn’t say when.
