A designer of traditional Korean dress, known as hanbok, revealed Thursday that Choi Soon-sil, at the center of a widening government scandal and a longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye, had visited her store ahead of the president’s inauguration ceremony in 2013.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, the designer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Choi came to purchase a hanbok for a “very important person” in December 2012.

“Choi was first reluctant to reveal who will wear the cloth,” she said. “I asked her several times for more details about that person, as otherwise I couldn’t tailor hanbok that actually suits the person.”

The person was President-elect Park, Choi later told the designer.

The designer handed Choi several samples of upper garments of different colors. Choi, however, said her samples were “mediocre at best.”

Insulted, she asked her employees to clear away all the samples displayed on the table, a move that came as a surprise for Choi, she recalled.

During the inauguration, Park wore a hanbok designed by Kim Young-seok, another embattled figure linked to the Choi scandal. Choi had reportedly recommended Kim to President Park.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)