SEOUL
A senior South Korean official was summoned for questioning Sunday over his alleged involvement in a growing political scandal over a leaked presidential document rocking the country.
South Korea’s national news agency reported that prosecutors in Seoul called in Lee Jae-man, presidential secretary for general affairs, amid investigations into how he may have come into contact with a key figure in the scandal, Jeong Yun-hoe.
The document leaked to media last month alleges that Jeong, who had been President Park Geun-hye's adviser during her term as lawmaker, held meetings with incumbent high-ranking presidential officials to influence state affairs, according to Yonhap.
In the current administration, Jeong has not served in an official position.
Park’s younger brother Ji-man, head of the EG Corporation, was also summoned Sunday to appear for questioning within the week over how he allegedly obtained more than 100 leaked presidential documents.
The summons come a day after a policeman accused of leaking the controversial document to media was found dead, apparently due to suicide.
The document had been drawn up by Park Gwan-cheon, who served as a presidential office police lieutenant until February.
Prosecutors had accused the dead police, identified only by the surname Choi, and a colleague surnamed Han of stealing around 100 documents from Officer Park's private luggage.
Yonhap quoted a police investigator as saying Saturday that cinders in Choi’s vehicle suggested the officer, whose left ankle had self-inflicted knife wounds, had used carbon monoxide gas from burning briquettes to commit suicide.
Arrest warrants filed by prosecutors for Choi and Han were dismissed Friday by a Seoul court, which said there was insufficient reason for their detention.
According to investigators, a lengthy suicide note by Choi expresses sorrow for his family and mourns his situation, Yonhap reported.
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