S Korean prosecutors plan to search impeached leader’s office
Prosecutors said yesterday they plan to question impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye and search her office by early next month over a huge corruption scandal involving Park and her longtime confidante. In an unusual moment earlier in the day, Park’s confidante, Choi Soon-sil, shouted out to reporters as she was brought to the prosecutors’ offices to be questioned. Choi called the investigation unfair and said she had been forced to confess untrue things about her relationship with Park.
“They are not a democratic special prosecution any longer ... they are forcing me to make a confession,” Choi screamed out as guards led her into the building. “I’m getting a bum rap.” Meanwhile, Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutors’ team, said officials are pushing to interview Park and search her office by early February. Park, who has been stripped of power but not removed from office, cannot be forced to testify at the Constitutional Court holding her impeachment trial. But she has said she’s willing to undergo questioning by the special prosecutors investigating the wide-ranging scandal. It’s not clear if her office will allow the search of the presidential Blue House.
Park is accused of allowing Choi to meddle in state affairs and colluding with Choi to extort money from businesses. Choi and several presidential aides have been arrested. To remove Park from office permanently, at least six of the Constitutional Court’s nine justices must support her impeachment. Several justices will leave office before March 13, but six ‘yes’ votes are still required even if some seats are vacant. Court head Park Han-chul, one of the departing justices, said the court’s ruling should be issued by then, but that opinion is not binding.