Parties call for probe into alleged meddling in state affairs

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- The ruling and major opposition parties called Saturday for a thorough investigation into allegations that a former aide to President Park Geun-hye has interfered with state affairs through regular meetings with presidential officials.

On Friday, the daily Segye Times reported that Jeong Yun-hoe, a close former aide to Park, was regularly briefed by a group of presidential secretaries on state affairs.

Jeong holds no official title in the current administration but is reported to still wield enormous influence in the running of state affairs.

After the report, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae denied the allegations and lodged a complaint with the prosecution against the daily for libel.

"Now the ball is in the prosecution's court as Cheong Wa Dae filed a complaint against the newspaper and the reporter," said Park Dae-chul, a spokesman of the ruling Saenuri Party, in a briefing. "We demand the prosecution investigate all suspicions and resolve them clearly."

His remark is the first response from the ruling party since the emergence of the scandal on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party, New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), claimed that allegations about the existence of a secret group of aides controlling Cheong Wa Dae were proven to be true.

"This is a very serious issue, that a secret line exists at the heart of government power and manages state affairs. It's a collapse of the control tower in the country," said NPAD spokesman Park Soo-hyun, adding that the authorities should fully investigate the matter.

The NPAD formed a fact-finding committee on Friday to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations.

brk@yna.co.kr
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