Choi Soon-sil Told Cronies to Lie for Her, Tapes Reveal

Choi Soon-sil, the longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the massive corruption scandal, told cronies to give false testimony to prosecutors.

Minjoo Party lawmaker Park Young-sun on Wednesday published taped phone conversations between Choi and an unnamed person prior to her return to Korea in late October.

Choi is heard telling the other person to instruct her drinking buddy Koh Young-tae what to say to prosecutors. Koh is a former fencer and part-time gigolo who designed arrestingly ugly handbags and ill-fitting suits for Park.

In another recorded phone call, Choi mentions Lee Sung-han, a former head of the dubious Mir Foundation she established to bilk donations from major conglomerates.

"We have a big problem," Choi is heard to say. "Tell Koh to stay alert and make it look like everything has been fabricated and that they stole (a tablet PC with damaging evidence) to do that."

"Make it look like Lee Sung-han was also very manipulative and demanded money," she adds. "If you don't do that, we're all going to die."

Koh, who had already tipped off reporters, famously did not comply and instead spilled the beans in excruciating detail.