S Korea prosecutors detain ex-presidential aide amid scandal
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former senior aide of President Park Geun-hye as they widen their investigation into a snowballing scandal centring on whether the president’s close friend controlled the government from the shadows, officials said Thursday.
Ahn Jong-beom is the second person detained in connection with a scandal that has plunged Park’s approval rating to record lows and triggered mounting calls for her resignation. Earlier this week, prosecutors detained Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, and requested an arrest warrant for her.
South Korean media speculate Choi, who has no government position, secretly made policy recommendations for Park and pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations she controlled.
The detention of Ahn wasn’t unexpected — he’s been connected in media reports to Choi — but it is another investigative step closer to the presidential Blue House. Park may survive what has become the worse patch of an already rocky four years in office, but a major test will be whether opposition parties reject her recent nomination for a new prime minister. If she’s forced to name a prime minster chosen by the opposition, it would hamstring her authority and might end her ability to govern.