South Korean President Park Geun-hye publically apologized for the involvement of Choi Sun-sil, an unauthorized individual and an old friend, in the writing and drafting of several key speeches of her presidency, in a statement on Tuesday.

The apology comes amid an ongoing scandal around the revelations that Choi, who had not received security clearances, had played a role in government policy-making. South Korean media reported on Monday that multiple speeches by President Park, including the Dresden Speech from 2014, were reviewed and edited by Choi Sun-sil.

In a scandal referred to as Choi Sun-sil Gateby local media, it has been alleged