Addressing the people of South Korea, President Park Geun-hye apologized for the scandal that arose when media reports revealed she had been entrusting sensitive details of government to a shadowy female confidante.
Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a Korean cult leader whose relationship with Park goes back to the 1970s, was arrested on Nov. 3. She held no office and had no security clearance, yet was granted access to detailed files on Park's leadership. There are indications that Choi abused this position of trust to siphon $70 million to her non-profit organizations.
President Park Geun-hye took office in 2013, becoming South Korea's first female leader. Her father, Park Chung-hee, was dictator in the 1960s and 1970s, until he was assassinated in 1979. Before this, his wife and the younger Park's mother Yuk Young-soo was killed by North Korean agent.
Park said that her personal tragedy and loneliness led her to place too much trust in her friend.
Public outrage and protests which have seen Park's approval rating plunge to 5 percent. She gave a previous apology earlier in the week and has replaced many of her cabinet staff. She is prepared to undergo investigation.
(NTD Television)