Park Geun-hye Confidante: I Purchased German Hotel with Samsung Funds

Corruption is Everywhere - Certainly in South Korea

By Elizabeth Shim 

Choi Soon-sil, the South Korean defendant at the center of a presidential scandal involving corruption and bribery, denied Wednesday she took bribes from Samsung. Photo by Yonhap

UPI -- A confidante of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye said she used money from conglomerate Samsung to purchase a hotel in Germany -- but denied receiving bribes to buy a horse for her equestrian daughter.

Choi Soon-sil, who used her friendship with Park to solicit donations and funding for her two foundations, said Wednesday during her 15th hearing of the appeals trial of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong money from Samsung was used to purchase a hotel near Frankfurt.

Samsung donated the money to Choi around 2015, which the conglomerate sent to fund the activities of KOA Sports, one of Choi's entities, South Korean television network JTBC reported.

Asia Business reported Choi said Samsung did not know she had used the money to buy real estate in Germany.

Samsung was not consulted, and Choi testified that the company was not informed because "there was no opportunity to meet with Samsung, and the hotel was on the market at a low price."

"I felt I had to purchase quickly," Choi said, adding the real estate acquisition was not for her personal enrichment, but rather for athletes' use.

Choi allegedly oversaw the training of South Korean equestrians in Germany, and wanted to use the hotel as a dormitory, according to her testimony.

Funds that were reportedly sent to Choi for building the equestrian team were sent from Samsung.

According to local press, a fund transfer of about $2 million to Choi from Samsung may have been used exclusively for Chung Yoo Ra, Choi's daughter.

That story has gained traction because Choi never assembled an equestrian team as she had planned, Asia Business reported.

Choi also said she used a mobile phone under a borrowed name to communicate with Park during her presidency.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong reportedly gave a total of $40 million in "donations" to Choi's foundations, according to The Korea Herald.

No wonder my TV costs so much!