Chung Yoo-ra (second right) is at the centre of the Korea Equestrian Federation probe ©Getty Images

A Sports Ministry audit has found that the Korea Equestrian Federation (KEF) fabricated documents and broke its own rules to favour the daughter of the woman at the centre of a political scandal which has brought the Asian nation to a virtual halt in recent weeks.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are still taking to the streets across Seoul both to celebrate and to oppose the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye following a cronyism scandal which is affecting all aspects of governance in the country.

Courts are currently considering whether to uphold a Parliamentary vote to impeach her passed by 234 votes to 56 on Friday (December 9).

The scandal centres around Park's links to Choi Soon-si, her 60-year-old adviser who exerted "undue influence" on policy-making despite having no official Government role, it is claimed.

According to Yonhap News, a Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism-conducted special audit of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) found that the KEF granted "undue favors" to Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi.

It is alleged that they "poorly managed" Chung's training reports in 2014 and 2015, which should have been written under the KSOC's national team training code. 

Documents were submitted late and without including core information such as her training location and her manager.

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the figure at the centre of a corruption scandal, is a promising equestrian rider whose name has been dragged into the crisis ©FEI
Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the figure at the centre of a corruption scandal, is a promising equestrian rider whose name has been dragged into the crisis ©FEI

Signatures were also reportedly doctored.

The Korea Times has pointed-out that no "overwhelming evidence" has been found of clear wrongdoing.

Chung is ranked 190th in the world in the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) individual dressage rankings and has expressed a wish in a profile on the FEI website "to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo".

She formed part of the gold medal winning South Korea dressage team at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.

Prosecutors last month raided Seoul offices belonging to Samsung Electronics following allegations they sent €2.8 million ($3.1 million/£2.5 million) to a company owned by Choi and her daughter in Germany as part of a "consulting arrangement" to fund Chung's equestrian training.

The audit report is now expected to be submitted to an Independent Counsel formed to investigate the influence-peddling scandal.

Preparations for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games have also been affected by the crisis.

It is alleged that Choi influenced construction contracts for Games-venues, as well as the process by which Cho Yang-ho was replaced by Lee Hee-beom as Organising Committee President in May.

Seoul and regional Governments are still yet to finalise the Pyeongchang 2018 budget with organisers as the scandal continues to overshadow all other work in the host nation.