The 2016 South Korean political scandal, often called Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil Gate in South Korea (), was a scandal that emerged around October 2016 in relation to the unusual access that Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of shaman-esque cult leader Choi Tae-min, had to President Park Geun-hye of South Korea.
Widespread coverage of this South Korean political scandal began in late October 2016. On 29 November, Park offered to begin the process of removing herself from power. On 9 December, Park was impeached, and then-prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn became the acting president. On 21 December, a Special Prosecution Team led by Park Young Soo began to investigate the scandal. On 10 March 2017, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled to uphold the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye. All eight judges agreed that President Park abused her power, and removed her from office. A new election was held sixty days afterwards, which resulted in the victory of Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in. Moon won 41% of the popular vote in the election. The scandal caused the first impeachment of a sitting South Korean president since the impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun on 12 March 2004, and the last until Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment on 14 December 2024.
Background
Choi Soon-sil
Choi Soon-sil had known President Park Geun-hye since 1974, when Choi's father, Choi Tae-min, offered to counsel and advise Park as she and her family were grieving after the assassination of Park's mother, then-first lady Yuk Young-soo. In 2007, a South Korean news magazine publicized a thirty-year-old Korean Central Intelligence Agency report, revealing that Choi Tae-min initially approached Park by telling her that the deceased Yuk had appeared to him in his dreams, asking him to help her daughter. A leaked diplomatic cable from the U.S. embassy in Seoul reported subsequent rumors that Choi was a "Korean Rasputin" who "had complete control over Park's body and soul during her formative years and...his children accumulated enormous wealth as a result." In response to this scrutiny, Park called Choi Tae-min a "patriot" and stated she was grateful for his counsel and comfort during "difficult times."
In late 2016, reports surfaced that raised questions that Choi Soon-sil had inappropriate access to, and possible influence over, Park. Choi had allegedly been given regular reports on Park's schedule, speeches, and personnel arrangements, and had even seen classified information on secret meetings with North Korea. Choi was also alleged to have dictated, or at the least influenced, Park's decision-making on everything from her choice of handbags, to public statements, to state affairs.
Choi was also alleged to have used a South Korean overseas development assistance project (a convention center in Myanmar) for improper personal benefits.
Choi was indicted for extorting bribes, abusing power illegally and leaking classified documents and also accused of having influenced Ewha Womans University to change their admission criteria in order for her daughter Chung Yoo-ra to be given a place there.
Censorship and early reporting The Park administration sought to influence the media in various ways, including through business ties with media executives, and had established a commission to harass and prosecute social media critics, including those who held her accountable for the handling of the 2014 sinking of MV Sewol, in which 304 civilians died. Choi's name had been completely obscured from public records through a variety of means. In July 2016, Park's illegal business ties to Choi Soon-sil were uncovered by a reporter working for Chosun Broadcasting Company, who cornered Choi and attempted to secure an interview, but his report was spiked by executives at the company. In September, more cautious stories were printed by newspapers, alluding to Park's shady business deals, and on 20 September, The Hankyoreh was able to independently uncover Choi's name by interviewing employees at a massage parlor. The managing editor of The Hankyoreh published a public appeal for Chosun Broadcasting Company to air the spiked story.NHK, November 19, 2018. アナザーストーリーズ「パク・クネ 弾劾の舞台裏～その時 韓国は沸騰した～」 Following this story, the investigation of Choi deepened, but her exact relationship with Park was still unclear.
Discovery of Choi Soon-sil's tablet computer Reporters covering the story for JTBC Newsroom located a rental office in Germany which had previously been temporarily used by Choi. There, they retrieved a Samsung tablet computer which contained her login information. They found that Choi had received drafts of 44 presidential speeches on the tablet before she abandoned it. One of the most troubling of these was a Microsoft Word document which contained a corrected draft of a speech made by Park in Germany on 28 March 2014. To avoid plausible deniability by Park, they initially reported on 19 October that anonymous sources had rumored Choi was editing Park's speeches. Once Park responded by denying that any of her speeches had been sent to private individuals, JTBC publicized their possession of the tablet on 24 October. The following morning, Park admitted that Choi had been acting as her unofficial, unpaid personal assistant.
The coverage of Choi subsequently spread to all media. Media outlets reported that Choi and Park's senior staff members, including both Ahn Jong-bum and Jeong Ho-sung, have allegedly used their influence to extort ₩77.4 billion (US$60 million) from Korean chaebols—family-owned large business conglomerates—and set up two cultural and sports-related foundations, Mir and K-sports foundations. National fencer Ko Young-tae, who was a close friend of Choi Soon-sil, is suspected of being involved in the management of shell corporations The Blue K and Widec Sports. Choi set up these companies in Korea and Germany allegedly to funnel money from the foundations.
Choi gave an interview to the Segye Ilbo saying she was not leaving Germany for health reasons, denied creating a secret group called the "Eight Fairies", denied owning the tablet computer, and denied knowingly receiving classified information.
Arrests
2016 31 October – Choi was arrested and summoned to the prosecutor's office for questioning. 2 November – Top presidential aides Ahn Jong-bum and Jeong Ho-sung were arrested for abusing power and aiding Choi. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office of Korea (SPO), in laying charges against Choi and two former presidential aides, have alleged that President Park colluded with the three in certain criminal activities. The president will be questioned by prosecutors, the first time this has occurred with a serving South Korean president. 8 November – Award-winning music video director Cha Eun-taek was arrested at the Incheon International Airport upon his return from China. He was accused of "meddling in state-led projects and exerting undue influence in the culture sector". 31 December – Chief of the National Pension Fund and former health & welfare minister Moon Hyung-pyo was arrested for pressuring the state fund to back a major merger deal for Samsung C&T.
2017
2 January – Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, was arrested in Denmark for staying in the country illegally. 3 January – Ewha Womans University professor and renowned writer Ryu Chul-kyun (pen name Yi In-hwa) was arrested for doing the homework of Chung Yoo-ra. 11 January – Former chief of admissions at Ewha Womans University Namkung Gon was arrested for perjury charges. 12 January – Former Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok and two other former senior officials were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the blacklisting. 18 January – Former dean of Ewha Womans University College of Science and Industry Convergence Kim Kyung-Sook was arrested for charges of granting special admission for Chung Yoo-ra. 21 January – Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun was arrested for drawing up a blacklist of cultural figures critical of Park. Former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-Choon was also arrested for masterminding the blacklist containing 10,000 cultural figures considered "left-leaning" who were critical of President Park. Ewha Womans University Professor Lee In-sung was also arrested. 15 February – Former Ewha Womans University president Choi Kyung Hee was arrested over charges of granting admission and grading favours to Chung Yoo-ra, a daughter of Choi Soon-sil. 16 February – Vice president of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong (JY Lee), was arrested on bribery charges. Mr. Lee is accused of paying $36 million in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, in return for political favours. In November 2017 as part of further investigations into corruption during the Park presidency, two former National Intelligence Service directors Nam Jae-joon and Lee Byung-kee were arrested for embezzlement and bribery. They were arrested for illegally funneling tens of thousands of U.S. dollars a month from their spy agency's secret budget for Park's private use through her presidential office budget.
On 30 March 2017, the Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant for Park's arrest on corruption charges. She was arrested later that day.
Parliamentary hearing On 6 December, chiefs of South Korea's major conglomerates (chaebols) came to the National Assembly to attend the first parliamentary hearing on the scandal involving Park Geun-hye and her long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil. It happened for the first time since 1988. Participants included Samsung Electronics Vice Chair Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Chair Chung Mong-koo, Lotte Group Chair Shin Dong-bin, SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won and the heads of CJ, LG, Hanwha and Hanjin, The Federation of Korean Industries. In the hearing, presidents of the chaebols told the parliament that they were not seeking favours when they made contributions to two foundations at the heart of a scandal that appeared poised to bring down Park.
On 7 December 2016, Park's former aides, including ex-chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former Vice Culture Minister Kim Jong, testified in the 2nd parliamentary hearing about suspicions that Choi Soon-sil meddled in government affairs.
On 14 December 2016, the Special Committee of the Parliament held a 3rd hearing, focused on solving the mystery surrounding Park's 7-hour public absence on the day of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking.
On 15 December 2016, the Special Committee held a 4th hearing to question the allegations over Mir and K-Sports foundation and how Chung Yoo-ra cheated her way through Ewha Womans University. Jeong Hyun-sik, a former K-Sports head, and former Ewha Womans University president Choi Kyung-hee and other affiliated people testified in the hearing.
On 22 December 2016, a 5th hearing was held to question former Presidential Secretary Woo Byung-woo and former presidential nurse Cho Yeo-ok.
On 26 December 2016, special committee members of the National Assembly held a 6th hearing in a prison and met Choi Soon-sil in her detention cell; she repeatedly refused to attend a parliamentary hearing. She denied most of her allegations over the influence-peddling scandal.
On 9 January 2017, a 7th hearing was held to question Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun, former chief of admissions at Ewha Womans University Namkung Gon, K-Sports Foundation Chairman Chung Dong Chun, and a staffer at the presidential security office Ku Soon-sung. The hearing confirmed that a blacklist for left-leaning artists existed.
Public apology and presidential approval rating falls