朴槿惠的薩滿顧問接受韓檢方問詢

The woman at the centre of a political scandal that threatens to unseat South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye was jostled by crowds as she arrived for interrogation by prosecutors for the first time on Monday.

被許多韓國人稱爲朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)薩滿顧問的崔順實（Choi Soon-sil，上圖中帶帽女子），週一到案接受檢方的首次問詢。作爲一宗可能會導致韓國總統朴槿惠下臺的政治醜聞的核心人物，崔順實在抵達時遭到了衆人的推搡。

Choi Soon-sil, dubbed by many in the country as the shaman adviser to Ms Park, seemed to make a confession to the influence-peddling rumours that have destabilised the government in recent weeks, telling the crowd that she was sorry for having committed an unpardonable crime.

崔順實似乎承認了關於她利用影響力謀私的傳聞，她向人羣表示，她很抱歉犯下了死罪。這些傳聞在最近幾周引發了韓國政府的動盪。

But her lawyer later told reporters that she was just trying to express her feelings and it was not an admission of guilt.

不過，崔順實的律師隨後向記者表示，她只是在試圖表達自己的感受，並不是在承認罪行。

Ms Choi returned to Seoul over the weekend amid an escalating furore over allegations that she had exerted control over the president on issues from key policy decisions to what clothes and accessories the president should wear.

崔順實是在上週末返回首爾的，當時，有關她在各種議題上對朴槿惠施加控制的說法引發的轟動正急劇升級。這些議題涉及從關鍵政策決定到朴槿惠該穿着哪些服飾等各個方面。

Allegations are swirling that Ms Choi used her relationship with Ms Park to press top Korean companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controls and that her daughter received preferential admission to a top university.

廣爲流傳的指控稱，崔順實利用她與朴槿惠的關係迫使多家韓國知名企業向她控制的基金會捐贈了數千萬美元，她的女兒也被一所頂級大學特招入學。

Ms Choi denies the claims.

崔順實否認了這些指控。

The frequency of corruption cases in the north-east Asian nation has made them an almost customary affair.

由於國內腐敗案頻發，韓國人對這類案件基本已習以爲常。

Yet this episode stands apart for its mystical overtones.

但這起事件卻因其神祕主義韻味而與衆不同。

Ms Choi entered the world of high politics through her father, Choi Tae-min, a shadowy religious figure linked to cult activities.

崔順實是通過其父崔太敏(Choi Tae-min)進入高層政治圈的，崔太敏則是一名與邪教活動有關的神祕宗教人物。

As she was bustled into the Seoul prosecutor’s office on Monday, she apologised to the crowds.

週一，在被簇擁着走向首爾檢察官辦公室時，崔順實向在場人羣表示了道歉。

I am so sorry, Ms Choi said.

崔順實表示：對不起。

I have committed an unpardonable crime.

我犯了死罪。

The gap between Ms Choi arriving back in Seoul and her interrogation further inflamed opposition figures, who questioned why she had not been arrested upon her return to the country from Germany on Sunday.

崔順實返回首爾後隔了一段時間纔來接收問詢，這令反對派人士愈發憤怒，他們質疑爲何不在她上週日從德國返回韓國時就逮捕她。