South Korean prosecutors have detained a former senior aide of President Park Geun-hye as they widen their investigation into a snowballing scandal centering on whether the president’s close friend controlled the government from the shadows, officials said on Thursday.
Ahn Jong-beom is the second person detained in connection with a scandal that has plunged Park’s approval rating to record lows and triggered mounting calls for her resignation.
Earlier this week, prosecutors detained Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, and requested an arrest warrant for her.