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Minjoo Party lawmaker Ahn Min-seok shows photos of President Park Geun-hye while asking if she underwent dermal filler injection in May 2014

The veil of secrecy over President Park Geun-hye’s working habits is being lifted amid hearings by a special parliamentary investigation committee investigating her role in government inference by confidante Choi Sun-sil.

Evidence is emerging that Park’s aloof “hermit” habits, including remaining in her official residence much of the time and having meals alone, contributed to behind-the-scenes power brokers’ ability to interfere in governance.

On Dec. 14, South Korean ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo, the Park administration’s first National Security Office chief, appeared at the committee’s third rounds of hearing on the Choi Sun-sil scandal. In his testimony, Kim said he had no idea of Park’s whereabouts on the day of the Sewol ferry sinking, which claimed over 300 lives, on Apr. 16, 2014. Kim also said there had been other days when he had sent reports both to Park’s office and to her residence because he did not know where she was.

Witnesses said Park mainly stayed at her residence on days when no official events were scheduled. While previous Presidents also worked from home, this was typically limited to early mornings and late nights; in some urgent cases, they took reports in their pajamas.

But Park had no contact at all with the outside world unless her makeup and hair had been done. On the day of the Sewol sinking, she only appeared in public after finishing her hair.

“With [Park’s predecessor] Lee Myung-bak [in office 2008-2013], he had clear times for reporting for work and going home,” explained Han Sang-hoon - Park’s Western cuisine chef for three years and four months - in a recent interview with Channel A. “But President Park was almost always at home unless she had something like a secretaries‘ meeting of Cabinet meeting scheduled.”

Han also reported hearing on his last day of Blue House work that Park “could not take a commemorative photograph because her hair and makeup weren’t done.”

According to sources, the only people allowed to see Park without makeup were Jeong Song-ju and Jeong Mae-ju - the individuals in charge of her hair and makeup - and administrative officer Yun Jeon-chu, brought on board at the Blue House on Choi Sun-sil‘s recommendation. Despite having a background as a fitness trainer, Yun reported served as a de facto secretary aiding Park from up close.

Major Blue House advisers all suffered the same difficulties meeting Park in person.

“There were occasions when I wanted to meet the President to disclose some personal issue, but I couldn’t because she didn‘t summon me,” explained a former senior official from Park’s secretariat.

“You had to check the schedule to see which outside figures she was meeting with, then wait by her door to have the opportunity to get a few words in,” the former official said.

While appearing at the committee‘s hearing on Dec. 7, former presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon said there were “some occasions when I didn’t see [Park] once for a whole week.” Former Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs Cho Yoon-sun and Senior Secretary to the President for Foreign Affairs and National Security Kim Kyou-hyun also sparked controversy with claims neither had ever had a one-on-one meeting with Park.

By Choi Hye-jung, staff reporter

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