In October 2016, South Korea's president Park Geun-hye was implicated in a number of bizarre scandals, including a cult leader, horseback riding lessons, and tens of millions of dollars. After the scandal surfaced, thousands of people in cities across South Korea demanded that President Park step down. So, what's going on with South Korea's president?
2016 年 10 月，南韓總統朴槿惠被牽連進幾起不尋常的醜聞中，包含邪教領袖、馬術課程，以及數千萬美金。醜聞浮上檯面後，在南韓各城市的數千名民眾要求朴總統下台。所以，南韓的總統怎麼了？
Well, the controversy is primarily centered around Park's relationship with her long-time friend and spiritual advisor, Choi Soon-sil. Choi is a private citizen with no security clearance, yet it was revealed that she has, for years, privately advised President Park on everything, from her wardrobe to her speeches to actual state policy. According to CNN South Korean affiliate, an abandoned computer once owned by Choi contained evidence that she had received classified documents and had even intervened in state affairs.
嗯，爭議主要聚焦在朴槿惠的交友關係，她和她的老友兼精神導師崔順實之間的交情。崔順實是介沒有安全許可的平民，然而卻披露出她多年來在檯面下替朴總統出每件事的主意，從她的服裝到演講到實際國家政策。根據 CNN 南韓分部報導，一臺曾屬崔順實的廢棄電腦內含有她收過機密文件的證據，以及她甚至曾干涉國家事務。
For instance, shortly after Park was elected in December 2012, Choi allegedly received a document detailing a closed-door briefing between Park and South Korea's incumbent president. The document included classified information about national security, foreign affairs, and the economy. There's also evidence that Choi edited one of Park's most famous speeches, in which she detailed her vision for the country's unification with the North. To many South Koreans, this makes it seem as if Choi has secretly masterminded the policy decisions behind Park's presidency. But the scandal goes way beyond unlawful information-sharing.
舉例來說，在朴槿惠 2012 年 12 月當選總統不久後，崔順實據說收到一份文件，詳述朴槿惠與南韓當時在任總統間閉門會議的內容。那份文件包含關於國安、外交事務以及經濟的機密資訊。另外還有證據指出崔順實曾編輯朴槿惠一篇最有名的演講，在那篇講稿中她詳細說出自己對國家與北韓統一的願景。對許多南韓人來說，這讓一切看起來像崔順實在朴槿惠的總統職位背後秘密操縱政策決定。不過醜聞牽涉的層面不僅是不法資訊分享而已。
Choi runs two nonprofit organizations and has allegedly used her connections
to solicit roughly 70 million dollars in donations from a South Korean business lobby. Choi has also allegedly siphoned some of this money for private use, including horseback riding lessons for her daughter.
崔順實經營兩個非營利組織，且據傳利用她的人脈關係向南韓一個企業遊說團體索取了約七千萬美金的捐款。傳聞崔順實還從這筆錢中挪取一些作為私用，包含她女兒的馬術課。
Even more bizarre is Park and Choi's deeply intertwined family history, which dates back to the 1970s. Park is the daughter of military dictator Park Chung-hee, who is considered to be the founder of modern South Korea. After he and Park's mother were assassinated, Park became close with Choi's father. The older Choi claims to be a pastor from an obscure pseudo-Christian sect called the Church of Eternal Life. However, most Koreans liken him to Rasputin and his church to a religious cult. Many allege that his daughter is playing a similar role in Park's life.
更怪異的是朴槿惠與崔順實間密不可分的家族歷史，那回溯至 1970 年代。朴槿惠是軍事強人朴正熙之女，朴正熙被視為現代南韓的創立者。在他和朴槿惠的母親被暗殺後，朴槿惠和崔順實的父親變得親近。崔太敏宣稱自己是一個默默無聞、名為「永生教」的偽基督教派別的牧師。然而，大多韓國人認為他是像拉斯普丁那樣的狂徒，而他的教會是邪教。許多人指控他女兒是在朴槿惠的人生中扮演類似角色。
In a rare televised speech, Park apologized to the country, admitting that she had, in fact, shared certain documents with Choi early on in her presidency. However, South Koreans don't seem to buy it. After the apology, the president's approval rating plummeted to a record low of about 10 percent, and thousands continued to demand that she step down before her final year in office. Choi has been arrested and jailed on allegations of intervening in state affairs and unlawfully soliciting donations for her nonprofits. And what happens to Park remains to be seen.
在一場罕見的電視轉播演講中，朴槿惠向國家道歉，承認她確實在當總統的早期間和崔順實分享特定文件。然而，南韓民眾似乎不買帳。在道歉後，總統的支持率驟降至史上新低的一成左右，數千民眾繼續要求她在當政最後一年任期前下台。崔順實因干涉國務的指控遭到逮捕拘留，以及違法替她的非營利組織收取捐款的指控。而朴槿惠的下場會如何，目前仍是未知數。
- 「退位、下台」- Step Down
After the scandal surfaced, thousands of people in cities across South Korea demanded that President Park step down.
醜聞浮上檯面後，在南韓各城市的數千名民眾要求朴總統下台。
