(ATR) Korean media are reporting links between the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the woman who has ignited a political maelstrom.
Soon Sil Choi is in police custody in Seoul, the center of an influence peddling investigation that has grown out of her close association with Korean President Geun-hye Park.
Choi, the daughter of a mentor of Park, has admitted to advising the Korean president Park on state matters without holding any official status within the government.
Reports are now surfacing that Choi has used her insider status to swing deals for contracts for the 2018 Winter Olympics to companies she favored. One report says that she steered the design of the opening and closing ceremonies stadium to an architectural firm for which she was a consultant. The design was said to be unsatisfactory, prompting delays as another architect was selected to carry out the work.
Prosecutors are also said to be investigating whether Choi tried to extort $1 million from former PyeongChang 2018 President Yang Ho Cho. Ostensibly the money was to go to Korean sports organizations. Cho is said to have refused the request made in May, resigning days later from POCOG. At the time he said serious business issues with his family company were forcing him the step aside from the Olympics.
An aide to Cho said he could not comment as the allegations were in the hands of prosecutors.
The IOC says it has nothing on the record to add at this time.
There was no immediate comment from PyeongChang 2018.
The controversy has dominated domestic news in Korea for more than a week and is further undermining the authority of Park. Already besieged by a range of other issues, public support is sliding toward single digits. A lame duck into her last year in office, sources in Korea tell Around the Rings Park will have little pull with the national legislature as the first Winter Olympics for South Korea approach in 15 months.
Written by Ed Hula.
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