South Korean ambassador to Myanmar Yoo Jae-kyung has admitted to obtaining his post with the help of Choi Soon-sil – the shadowy figure at the center of the political corruption scandal that upended the South Korean government at the end of last year.
Choi Soon-sil, popularly dubbed the ‘Korean Rasputin’, stands accused of using her close relationship with South Korean President Park Guen-hye to extract tens of millions of dollars from South Korean businesses for her personal gain. She has been arrested on charges of fraud, coercion, and abuse of power.
South Korea’s National Assembly voted to impeach President Park and strip her of presidential duties on December 9. She and Choi deny almost all of the allegations against them.
(Here’s a disturbing, must-read explainer on “Choi Soon-sil-gate”.)
Prosecutors in Seoul allege that in addition to allegedly extorting money from South Korea’s top conglomerates, Choi sought to gain illicit profits from a South Korean aid program in Myanmar with the help of her country’s ambassador.
The program in question, dubbed the “K-Town project” was initially sponsored by South Korea’s ministries of trade and foreign affairs and was intended to host Korean Wave events. It included a contract to build a $65 million convention center and to bring South Korea businesses into Myanmar, according to UPI.
However, the project was scrapped last year by KOICA – South Korea’s international aid agency – due to the unlikelihood of its profitability, according to The Korea Times.
Investigators claim Choi arranged the profit structure in a way that would allow her to earn revenue if the South Korean businesses involved in the project turned a profit.
After being summoned by special prosecutor Park Young-soo, Ambassador Yoo Jae-kyung returned to South Korea and turned himself in for questioning. Though he initially denied any relationship with Choi, he admitted after several hours of questioning that he met Choi in March 2016, two months before his appointment to his country’s top diplomatic post in Myanmar.
“I met with Choi many times and I was made ambassador following her recommendation,” Yoo told the investigation team.
A report by South Korea-based News 1 alleges that Ambassador Yoo was chosen to replace his predecessor, Ambassador Lee Baek-soon, after Lee was “uncooperative in the project”.
Ambassador Yoo is a former global marketing chief for Samsung, whose vice chairman Lee Jae-yong narrowly avoided arrest for his company’s involvement in the massive presidential bribery scandal. Lee is accused of funneling tens of millions of dollars to Choi Soon-sil and for paying for her daughter’s equestrian courses.
Ambassador Yoo had no diplomatic experience before his appointment to the ambassadorship in Myanmar.
The appointments of Jun Dae-joo, 69, a former ambassador to Vietnam, and Park Noh-wan, a former consul general to Ho Chi Minh City, came under similar suspicions in 2013. The two were also associated with Choi.
Choi Soon-sil was arrested and questioned on Wednesday over her interference in the Myanmar aid project.
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