S.Korean prosecutors summon ex-presidential secretary over abuse of power

South Korean prosecutors looking into a corruption scandal embroiling former President Park Geun-hye on Thursday summoned a former senior presidential secretary.

Woo Byung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, was called in for multiple charges including abuse of power and dereliction of duty.

It was the third time that Woo appeared in the prosecutors' office for questioning.

In November last year, he was grilled for his alleged embezzlement and breach of duty in the management of a company his family controls.

In February, he was questioned by special prosecutors who had investigated the corruption scandal that led to Park's impeachment and arrest.

Since March, the investigation has been taken over by the special investigation headquarters of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office which summoned Woo.

Woo is suspected of assisting or at least conniving at Choi Soon-sil's meddling in state affairs behind the scenes.

Choi is Park's decades-long friend who is at the center of the corruption scandal and is now in custody.

He is also accused of intervening in the appointment of government officials, inspecting civilians and affecting the probe into the Sewol ferry disaster that claimed 304 lives, mostly high school students, on a school trip.

On April 16, 2014, the passenger ferry capsized and sank off the country's southwest coast. Only 172 passengers were rescued, and nine are still unaccounted for.

Former President Park had been under intense criticism following the country's worst maritime disaster because of the initial bungling of rescue operations that were blamed on the absence of control tower led by Park.

Park's lost seven hours on the day of the disaster remains a mystery until now. Endit