S.Korean presidential confidante's daughter apprehended in Denmark

The daughter of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil has been apprehended in Denmark, an independent counsel team said Monday.

The team, led by special prosecutor Park Young-soo, said that Chung Yoo-ra was arrested in Denmark and that it has been cooperating with relevant authorities to have the 21-year-old repatriated as rapidly as possible.

Chung is the daughter of Choi, who is charged with using her friendship with President Park to extort funds from large businesses and meddling in state affairs though she has no government position and security clearance.

The 21-year-old was arrested at Sunday night (Denmark time) for illegally staying in the European country, local media reports said.

The independent counsel team had requested the so-called "red notice" with Interpol as Chung gave no response to the team's repeated summons for questioning.

Chung is alleged to have received illegal favors when entering a prestigious university. Even after being admitted to Ewha Womans University, she allegedly continued to have benefitted from her mother's influence-peddling to professors.

When Chung was apprehended there, she was with her baby born in 2015 as well as two men in his late 20s and early 30s.

Chung's arrest is being put on the South Korean media spotlight as Choi, who has denied all allegations on the scandal that led to the presidential impeachment, may tell the truth and admit to part of her wrongdoings when seeing her daughter arrested and grilled. Endit