Danish court extends detention of daughter of S Korea's Choi Soon-sil

Choi Soon-sil (C), the jailed confidante of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, arrives for hearing arguments at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho)

A Danish court ruled on Monday that the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of South Korea's impeached President Park Geun-hye, must remain imprisoned for another four weeks as additional information is needed to reach a decision for her extradition.

South Korean dressage rider Chung Yoo-ra, Choi's daughter, was arrested by North Jutland Police on Jan. 1 based on an international inquiry via Interpol.

On Jan. 2, the Court of Aalborg decided to imprison the 21-year-old for four weeks up to Jan. 30 while Danish authorities deal with South Korea's request for her extradition.

The processing of Chung's extradition case started on Jan. 6 after the Danish authorities received an official request from the South Korean authorities.

On Jan. 27, the Danish Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions asked the South Korean Ministry of Justice to provide more information regarding Chung's extradition.

"We have asked the (South) Korean authorities to answer some follow-up questions. Until we receive these answers, we can not reach a decision on the question of extradition," said Mohammad Ahsan, deputy director from the Office.

David Schmidt Hvelplund, a special prosecutor from the District Prosecution Service of the North Jutland Police, said it is standard procedure to request an extended detention in extradition cases.

Chung's mother Choi is charged with using her friendship with Park to extort funds from large businesses including Samsung Group and meddling in state affairs though she has no government position and security clearance.

Chung is alleged to have received illegal favors when entering a prestigious South Korean university. She is also accused of being behind comprehensive economic crimes in collusion with her mother.

Chung denied having participated in fraud and extortion, according to local media reports.

"I have not received any money personally from Samsung. I've only used the money I got from my mother," she was quoted by the Danish news agency Ritzau as saying at the Court of Aalborg.

She also rejected all accusations that she is abusing her mother's position to gain access to an elite university, according to Ritzau.