South Korea prosecutors grill impeached president over corruption allegations

SEOUL // South Korea questioned the country’s disgraced president yesterday in an investigation into the corruption allegations that ended her rule and now threaten to put her in jail.

Prosecutors grilled Park Geun-hye 11 days after South Korea’s constitutional court unanimously ruled that she should be dismissed from office over suspicions that she colluded with a confidante to extort money from businesses and committed other wrongdoings. That ruling also removed her immunity from prosecution.

Her powers had been suspended since she was impeached by parliament in December.

“I am sorry to the people. I will sincerely undergo an investigation,” Ms Park said as she arrived at the prosecutors’ office.

It was not clear if she was ac- knowledging the corruption allegations, since she has repeatedly denied any legal wrongdoing. South Korean politicians embroiled in scandals often offer public apologies while denying involvement in wrongdoing.

Prosecutors questioning Ms Park were trying to determine whether to seek an arrest warrant, according to South Korean media. Many other suspects implicated in the scandal have been arrested, including Ms Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil, some top government officials and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong.

The former president has been accused of extortion, bribery and abuse of power, which could in theory see her jailed for life. But some observers fear arresting Ms Park risks dividing the country and creating a conservative backlash ahead of an election in May to choose her successor.

Opponents and supporters of Ms Park have staged huge rallies. Three people died when supporters of the impeached president clashed with police after the court ruling on March 10. Yesterday, hundreds of her supporters rallied outside the prosecutors’ office.

While in office, Ms Park refused to talk to prosecutors or allow access to her presidential compound. After leaving office, she has continued to reject the allegations.

Her fall has been dramatic. The daughter of dictator Park Chunghee, she became South Korea’s first female president in 2013. Now she is the first democratically elected leader to be forced out of office in South Korea since democracy replaced dictatorship in the late 1980s.