Probe zeros in on Park over corruption scandal

Halfway through a high-profile probe into the corruption scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, the independent counsel’s remaining task is the hardest and most important -- questioning the president herself. 　

With key suspects increasingly implicating President Park in wrongdoings, special counsel Park Young-soo and his team of investigators are considering raiding the presidential office this week at the earliest and questioning Park face-to-face by early February. 

Independent counsel Park Yong-soo (center). Yonhap

Since its launch on Dec. 21 last year, the probe has tightened its focus on Park over key allegations: her involvement in drawing up a blacklist of cultural figures critical of her administration and extorting donations from local firms in return for business favors.

It suspects Park of ordering ex-Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and ex-Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun, who are both jailed, to create and manage the blacklist. It could be an additional charge against the president in the ongoing investigation as well as the impeachment trial.

Park is vehemently denying any wrongdoings, in particular regarding the blacklist, blasting media outlets for “manipulating public opinion.” She has criticized the independent counsel for being “politically biased” against her.

“Park has never ordered anyone to write up a so-called blacklist,” said Park’s lawyer Hwang Seong-wook. He said Park will file a suit against the media outlet for defamation.

The Constitutional Court is also quickening its court proceedings, with two more hearings scheduled for Monday and Wednesday before the nation’s public Lunar New Year holiday.

Ex-Vice Culture Minister Kim Chong, TV commercial director Cha Eun-taek and Lee Seung-cul, vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries are to testify Monday. They are all accused of assisting Choi Soon-sil, President Park’s longtime friend and central figure in the scandal, to extort money and favors using her ties to the president.

The remaining schedule for Park’s impeachment trial is expected to be confirmed this week as the court is set to finalize the list of witnesses amid growing expectations that the ruling will be made as early as in late February.

The court earlier adopted statements by 46 suspects and witnesses at the prosecutorial questioning tied to the scandal as valid evidence, which means the witnesses do not have to testify to help reconstruct facts at the court.

The parliamentary impeachment committee also withdrew its initial plan to call in 10 more people as witnesses before the court, which could contribute to bringing forward the court ruling.

After the final hearing, it takes about two weeks for the nine-judge court to write up a verdict.

The special counsel’s investigation is also set to accelerate -- with about a month left in its two-month probe period -- by starting to investigate Woo Byung-woo early next week. Woo is suspected of being involved in and condoning the irregularities surrounding Park and Choi while serving as a presidential secretary for civil affairs.

Despite the failure to arrest Samsung Group’s de facto chief Lee Jae-yong, the special counsel team continues to look into whether Park extorted donations from local firms in return for business favors.

The prosecution suspects Samsung Group offered bribes worth 443 billion won ($376 million) to foundations controlled by Choi in return for the Park administration’s support for the merger of two Samsung affiliates.

Choi, Park’s friend of 40 years, is standing trial over suspicions that she forced companies to make donations to the K-Sports and Mir foundations, which she controlled and used to funnel money to a paper company for personal gains.

During the probe, the counsel team arrested former Health and Welfare Minister Moon Hyung-pyo in regards to the Samsung bribery allegation, four officials from Ewha Womans University over alleged special treatment for Choi’s daughter Chung Yoo-ra and five government officials linked to the management of the blacklist.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

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