Daughter of S. Korea’s ‘Rasputin’ returns to face questioning
SEOUL: The equestrian daughter of South Korea's ‘Rasputin', whose lavish lifestyle in Europe was allegedly funded by millions of dollars in bribes, returned home yesterday to face questioning by prosecutors.
Chung Yoo-Ra, 20, is the daughter of Choi Soon- Sil, the close confidante of impeached expresident Park Geun-Hye.
Choi — dubbed 'Rasputin' for her strong influence over Park — is on trial along with the ex-president over an influence-peddling scandal that has rocked the country.
Prosecutors say cash for Chung's equestrian training came from electronics giant Samsung, which had handed over the money as part of an attempt to curry favour with her powerful and influential mother.
Chung, who was arrested by Danish police in January for overstaying her visa, dropped her appeal against extradition from Denmark last week.
She was arrested on a Korean Air flight from Amsterdam early yesterday and was escorted off the plane at Incheon by a team of prosecutors to face a handful of journalists and television cameras.
“I returned because my baby has been alone for so long,” Chung said. “I thought it was best to tell my side of the story and resolve the misunderstanding.”
The 20-year- old said she had no knowledge about the “special treatment” she allegedly received, and added: “I know nothing about what went on between my mother and the former president, but I feel I was wronged.”
Park was kicked out of office in March amid public disgust at the influence of money on South Korean politics.
Park and Choi are on trial for allegedly accepting or seeking millions of dollars in bribes from the country's huge conglomerates, including Samsung.
Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong is being tried separately while Shin Dong-Bin — the chairman of retail giant Lotte, the South's fifth-biggest conglomerate — also stands accused. — AFP