Choi hiding overseas

Choi Soon-sil, the mysterious woman who has supposedly been the “real power behind the throne” in South Korea’s presidential office, is believed to be hiding overseas, with multiple media reports suggesting that she had stayed in a small German city until recently.

According to media outlets that dispatched investigative teams to the European country, Choi had since last year lived in a rural town near Frankfurt called Schmitten with her horseback rider daughter training at an equestrian center there.

Choi is found to have purchased a number of properties in the area, including Widec Taunus Hotel. The hotel is currently out of business and is believed to be up for sale. 

The 60-year-old woman appears to have left the Schmitten house hurriedly after allegations of her influence peddling surfaced in South Korea. On Tuesday, President Park Geun-hye admitted to have such a close relationship with Choi that she would even show her scripts of her speeches in advance.

A German media outlet reported Tuesday that large moving trucks were spotted last month in front of the house where Choi used to live.

Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong said Wednesday the prosecution was considering taking steps through international judiciary cooperation channels to bring her back to Korea for questioning.

Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea insisted Wednesday state prosecutors investigating the influence-peddling allegations surrounding Choi should have knowledge of her whereabouts, demanding immediate action.

“Even we know that she’s in Germany and Cha Eun-taek is in China,” he said. Cha is a TV commercial director who is suspected to have exerted influence in various cultural projects of the government as well as the appointments of culture-related posts, using his close ties with Choi.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)