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The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday denied speculation that two senior officials offered to resign due to a conflict with President Park Geun-hye over the corruption scandal involving her and her confidante.
Rumors have lingered that Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong and Choi Jai-kyeong, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, tendered their resignations in an apparent sign of insubordination to the president, who is denying a string of allegations the prosecution has leveled against her.
"The pair has offered to resign as they feel the moral responsibility with regards to the prosecutorial probe (into the scandal)," Jung Youn-kuk, presidential spokesman, told reporters.
"(Park) has not yet accepted their resignations," he added.
The two officials in charge of assisting the president in law enforcement affairs offered to bow out earlier this week after the prosecution cited Park as an accomplice in the alleged wrongdoings involving her friend Choi Soon-sil and two key former aides.
Their moves were seen as a fresh blow to the embattled president who apparently needs their assistance in the face of an independent counsel investigation, through which she seeks to disprove what she calls "unfounded" accusations.
The independent counsel, consisting of 105 members including 20 prosecutors, is expected to begin its investigation next month. It has a mandate to investigate the high-profile case for a period of up to four months.
Meanwhile, the presidential office renewed calls for media prudence, arguing there are many erroneous reports on its purchase of medicine.
A local media outlet reported that in June 2014, Cheong Wa Dae purchased "EMLA Cream 5%," a medicine to numb the surface of the skin before certain medical procedures. The report came amid rumors that the president underwent plastic surgery during a ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, that left more than 300 passengers dead or missing.
"When there is a cut on your skin, you can apply it to anesthetize the area," Jung said, dismissing the speculation that the cream was purchased to carry out cosmetic surgery.
Amid controversy over a list of medicine Cheong Wa Dae has purchased over the past several years, the medical office said those drugs were bought to provide timely medical services to all employees working under the president.
Among the drugs was Viagra, a drug for men with erectile dysfunction, which the presidential office said is effective in preventing and treating altitude sickness. Park traveled to Mexico in March and Ethiopia in May, which are located 2,200 meters and 2,400 meters above sea level, respectively.
The medical office also dismissed the rumors about cosmetic surgery, stressing there was no equipment to carry out any surgery.
(YONHAP)
