Key figure in South Korea political crisis says she 'deserves death'

The woman at the centre of a political scandal in South Korea has made a rare public appearance, saying through tears that she "deserves death".

Choi Soon-sil appeared at the office of prosecutors investigating allegations she used her friendship with President Park Geun-hye to influence state affairs and amass an illicit fortune.

The scandal has roiled South Korea and piled pressure on the president to resign.

"Please, forgive me," Ms Choi said, as she tried to enter the prosecutors' building in Seoul surrounded by hundreds of reporters.

"I committed a sin that deserves death," the 60-year-old added.

Wearing a hat and scarf and covering her face with her hand, she pushed her way through the crowd of journalists and people demanding her arrest and Ms Park's resignation.

She was nearly knocked off her feet several times and reportedly lost her shoe amid the scrum, while one protester tried to enter the building with a bucket full of animal faeces. 

The scandal exploded last week when Ms Park acknowledged that Ms Choi, who has no official ties to the administration, edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help. 

According to reports, Ms Choi also used her connections with the president to pressure businesses to give money - possibly as much as 80bn South Korean won (£57m) - to two non-profit organisations she controls, and then allegedly used some of those funds for personal purposes.

Thousands of South Koreans held a protest at the weekend, saying Ms Park had betrayed public trust and mismanaged the government.

Ms Choi insists she did not benefit financially from her friendship with Ms Park or influence state affairs.

Ms Park, who was elected in 2012, has apologised for giving her friend access to draft speeches during the first months of her presidency.

Ms Choi, a cult leader's daughter with a decades-long connection to the Park family, returned home on Sunday from seclusion in Germany.

Ms Choi's father gained Ms Park's trust by reportedly convincing her that he could communicate with her assassinated mother.

He denied this in a 1990 media interview.