Independent counsel to begin investigation next week

The independent counsel team that will investigate the influencepeddling scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye’s confidant Choi Soon-sil is set to officially begin its work next week.

Cheong Wa Dae is soon expected to name four assistant counsels out of the eight candidates recommended by the special prosecutor Park Young-soo. The Ministry of Justice will also dispatch 10 prosecutors to the special team.

“I have requested the 10 prosecutors to be dispatched,” Park told reporters, Sunday. “What I focused on in selecting them was their sense of duty and investigative ability.”

Park also said he may request 10 additional prosecutors this week. The special team can have up to 20 prosecutors.

“After assistant counsels and the prosecutors are selected, we will receive investigation records from the prosecution and start preparing for the probe,” he said.

Each of the four assistants is likely to lead a smaller team, which will be in charge of investigating different allegations.

The allegations include whether Choi meddled in state affairs through presidential aides; whether chaebol provided funds for the K-Sports and Mir foundations, controlled by Choi, in return for business favors from the President; and whether Ewha Womans University granted Choi’s daughter favors in admissions and grading.

The team is also set to look into the President’s absence from official duty on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster as well as Cheong Wa Dae’s purchase of various suspicious medications during Park’s term.

The counsel selected its office in a building near Seolleung Station in southern Seoul. Nearly 100 investigators, including the assistants and prosecutors, will use the place officially after a week-long renovation.

Park Young-soo also met with senior prosecutor Yoon Seok-youl, Sunday, who has been named as a lead investigator on the case.

A key task the counsel faces is to question the President face-to-face, which the prosecution failed to do earlier, due to Park’s refusal to cooperate.

Questioning Park is seen as the key to determining whether the President, Choi and conglomerates will face bribery charges, in addition to existing charges such as abuse of authority and extortion.

Park’s legal representative said while the President would not be questioned by the prosecution, she would cooperate with the independent counsel’s probe.