The detained friend of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the center of a corruption scandal engulfing Park's administration, said she was sorry on Monday when questioned by a special parliamentary committee, an opposition MP said. Choi Soon-sil, whom Park has said she turned to at difficult times, denied key allegations against her, including colluding with Park to pressure big businesses into paying money to foundations she controlled, the MP said. "I am sorry to the people of the country," Choi was quoted as saying by opposition Democratic Party MP Sohn Hye-won, who visited Choi at the Seoul Detention Centre and later told a committee hearing what she had said. A handful of South Korean lawmakers finally got to question Choi. Choi has repeatedly ignored several summons to appear before a parliamentary committee probing a corruption scandal that triggered Park's impeachment earlier this month. So the lawmakers came to her, with the committee organizing a special hearing on Monday morning — with TV cameras — inside the detention facility where Choi is awaiting trial on charges of extortion and abuse of power. Choi initially refused to leave her cell, but eventually agreed to meet eight selected members of the committee behind closed doors. Citing the lawmakers, Yonhap news agency reported that Choi denied all her charges, including allegations that she colluded with the president and set up two dubious foundations that were later used for her personal gain. Choi, however, said she was prepared to serve a life sentence and apologized to the public for "causing confusion," according to Yonhap. — Agencies
