The presidential office on Monday denied a newspaper report that the office conducted an inspection into allegations a former aide to President Park Geun-hye took bribes in exchange for favors in high-level government appointments.
The report by the daily Segye Times reported that the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae launched an inspection in January into allegations that Jeong Yun-hoe, who is reported to still wield significant power in the administration, took hundreds of millions of won (hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars) in bribes in exchange for facilitating promotions to senior-level government posts.
The paper also claimed that the inspection was halted in February after the police official in charge was abruptly sent back to the police from his assignment at the presidential office.
Cheong Wa Dae denied the allegations in a statement, saying it will take “strong measures” against articles that are not true.
The main opposition party, New Politics Alliance for Democracy, called for an immediate investigation into the allegations.
“It is doubtful whether Cheong Wa Dae’s explanation can be trusted,” Yoo Ki-hong, NPAD’s senior spokesman, said in a press briefing.
“Cheong Wa Dae must reveal without a speck of doubt what exactly happened, and the prosecution must immediately conduct an investigation into entire truth behind the allegations.” (Yonhap)
