Impeached SKorean president’s aide comes out of hiding

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

A key figure in South Korea’s presidential office scandal spoke up Tuesday, ending days of silence and mystery over his whereabouts.

Woo Byung-woo was questioned by state prosecutors last month having already been the subject of embezzlement and real estate corruption suspicions.

Woo lost his job as presidential secretary amid spiraling power abuse and influence-peddling allegations that have spread through the country’s government and business circles.

The former Blue House aide has been accused of failing to intervene when a private citizen -- President Park Geun-hye’s now notorious secret confidante Choi Soon-sil -- meddled in state affairs.

Park was impeached last Friday, two days after Woo failed to appear at a parliamentary hearing as investigators were unable to directly order him to attend because they could not locate him.

Politicians from across the spectrum were joined by netizens in piling pressure on Woo to come out of hiding.

They raised a reward for his capture of 14 million won ($12,000) and produced a spoof wanted poster describing Woo as “good at scowling… and making excuses.”

Following rumors of taking cover at his mother-in-law’s home or a separate address in the southeastern city of Busan, Woo has finally resurfaced by speaking with local news agency Yonhap over the phone and promising to turn up at Seoul’s parliament next week.

“I could not participate in the hearing held Wednesday as presidential secretaries traditionally do not make remarks related with duties publicly,” he told Yonhap.

“But as I respect the repeated request from the parliament, I will respond faithfully to the parliamentary questioning.”

Woo -- previously a senior prosecutor -- added that he had laid low to avoid reporters rather than to evade investigation.

An independent probe is ongoing while the constitutional court has six months to decide whether to endorse Park’s impeachment.