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S. Korean President Orders 10 Advisers to Quit

S. Korean President Orders 10 Advisers to Quit
S. Korean President Orders 10 Advisers to Quit

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has ordered 10 of her senior advisers to quit after admitting she allowed an old friend to edit political speeches.

Choi Soon-sil, who holds no government job, is also suspected of meddling in policymaking and exploiting her links with the president for financial gain.

Park’s televised apology over the scandal last week sparked widespread accusations of mismanagement. Large anti-government protests are planned in Seoul on Saturday, BBC reported.

The scandal has badly eroded President Park’s popularity before next year’s elections, with some opposition parties calling on her to resign. However, the row has not prevented Park from proposing that presidents be allowed to stand for a second consecutive term.

Park, 64, became the first woman to lead South Korea after winning presidential elections in 2012.

Choi is the daughter of shadowy religious cult leader Choi Tae-min, who was Park’s mentor until his death in 1994. Choi, who left the country last month and is currently in Germany, has denied in an interview with South Korean media that she benefited financially from her government links.

Her lawyer said she was well aware of the “gravity” of the situation and was willing to return to South Korea if summoned by prosecutors.

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