SK prosecutors bid to question president
Print Edition
SOUTH Korean prosecutors said yesterday they would question President Park Geun-hye this week over a corruption scandal involving a close friend that has triggered massive protests calling for Park’s resignation.
The scandal centers on the president’s shadowy confidant Choi Soon-sil, who is accused of using her ties with Park to strong-arm local firms into donating millions of dollars to two non-profit foundations Choi then used for personal gain.
“We need to question the president Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest,” Yonhap news agency quoted an official with the Seoul prosecutors’ office as saying, adding a notice had been sent to her office and officials were waiting for a response.
Park could respond as early as tomorrow after she appoints a lawyer to represent her, a spokesman said.
If Park agrees, she will be the first South Korean president to be questioned by prosecutors while in office. She had earlier vowed not to hide behind presidential privilege if required to give testimony.
Park faces allegations that she pressured the heads of the country’s powerful conglomerates to donate money to Choi’s foundations during a meeting with them last July. Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo were reported to be among those who attended that meeting.
Prosecutors quizzed Chung over the weekend and were currently questioning Lee, Yonhap news agency said.
The “donations” from the firms amounted to nearly US$70 million, including US$17.5 million from Samsung and nearly US$11 million from Hyundai.
Samsung is also accused of separately offering millions of euros to Choi to bankroll her daughter’s equestrian training in Germany.
Choi, whose father was an elusive religious figure and a longtime mentor to Park until his death in 1994, has been arrested for abuse of power and fraud.
The 60-year-old is also accused of meddling in state affairs to the extent of nominating officials and editing Park’s speeches even though she has no official title or security clearance.
The scandal that emerged late last month has sparked nationwide fury with tens of thousands taking to the streets to call for Park’s resignation.
The latest rally on Saturday drew 1 million people, making it the largest public protest in South Korea in nearly three decades.
The protest, held only a few blocks away from her office, made Park “deeply aware of the gravity of the situation,” her spokesman said.
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