SEOUL - Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, was summoned on Monday by prosecutors on various allegations, including her intervention in state affairs since Park took office in February 2013.

The 60-year-old woman appeared in the headquarters of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in which hundreds of journalists gathered, indicating a huge attention to Choi suspected of illicitly accessing presidential reports without any security clearance and official position.

Unable to utter a word, Choi was surrounded by journalists and protesters shouting that President Park should step down and Choi be arrested, according to TV footage.

Right before entering into the prosecutors' building, Choi apologized to the public and begged for forgiveness, according to local media reports.

Choi unexpectedly returned to Seoul on Sunday from London after staying in Europe for about two months. In a previous interview with a local newspaper, Choi had said she was unable to fly on airplanes for heart problems.