Hong Sa-duk, a close aide to ruling party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, appeared before prosecutors on Friday for questioning over allegations that he took illegal political funds.

“I will sincerely respond to the questions,” the 69-year-old Hong told reporters before entering the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul around 9:45 a.m.

Hong, a former co-chairman of Park’s primary campaign team and a former six-term lawmaker, is suspected of receiving a total of some 60 million won (US$53,690) in illegal political funds from a businessman, surnamed Jin, over three different occasions between last autumn and March of this year.

Following the prosecutors’ launch of an investigation into the allegations, Hong left the party last month in a bid to minimize fallout ahead of December’s presidential vote.

If legal actions are taken against the former vice parliamentary speaker, it could deal another blow to Park and the ruling Saenuri Party, which has been embroiled in a series of graft scandals involving its members in recent months. (Yonhap News)