S.Korean Ambassador to Myanmar Questioned Regarding Ties With President's Aide

South Korean Ambassador to Myanmar Yoo Jae-kyung was questioned regarding his alleged ties with impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s aide, who could promote him for the post, local media reported Tuesday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The investigators suspected that Park's "shadow adviser" Choi Soon-sil could influence the appointment of Yoo, a former senior executive at Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co with no diplomatic experience, as the ambassador in May 2016, the Yonhap news agency reported. Yoo denied the allegations.

"I still do not know who recommended me as ambassador… Upon appointment, I was told by the president that they were looking for somebody with experience in trade, instead of an authentic diplomat, so as to tap into the new market," Yoo told reporters as he arrived at the investigator's office, as quoted by the news agency.

Political scandal around the South Korean president broke out in late October 2016, when media reported that Park had allowed her friend Choi, who held no official post, to edit her speeches thus letting the "shadow adviser" influence the country's policy. Moreover, Choi is accused of pressuring big South Korean corporations and extorting money from them for her non-commercial funds, in particular, putting pressure on the South Korean pension fund so that it approved a merge of Samsung and Cheil Industries Inc companies.

On December 9, the South Korean parliament voted to impeach the president in the wake of the scandal. The court has six months to decide upon the validity of the impeachment. If it is proved valid, presidential elections will be held within two months.