Author: HYUNG-JIN KIM | APWed, 2017-03-15ID: 1489563637640347300SEOUL, South Korea: South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they plan to question ousted President Park Geun-hye next week over a corruption scandal that removed her from office, as the government announced that an election will be held on May 9 to pick her successor.Park lost her presidential immunity from prosecution after the Constitutional Court ruled Friday to formally end her rule over allegations that she colluded with a longtime confidante to extort money from businesses and allowed her pull government strings from the shadows.Prosecutors said they told Park’s lawyer that they’ll summon her next Tuesday as a suspect in the scandal. No further details were provided.Dozens of high-profile figures including some top Park administration officials and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong have already been indicted over the scandal.Park could also face extortion, bribery and other criminal charges, but she has denied any legal wrongdoing and expressed defiance toward her corruption allegations.“Although it will take time, I believe the truth will certainly come out,” Park said after leaving the presidential Blue House on Sunday.Park’s comments raised worries about a further deepening of the national divide over her fate. Three people died and dozens were injured in violent clashes between Park’s supporters and police following Friday’s court ruling.By law, a national vote to find her successor must be held within two months of Friday’s court ruling, and the Ministry of Interior said Wednesday that May 9 would be the election date.Moon Jae-in, a liberal opposition leader who lost the 2012 presidential election to Park, is the favorite to be the country’s next leader in opinion surveys.His campaign got a boost Wednesday when Prime Minister and acting leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered the potential leading conservative challenger to Moon, said he won’t run.Hwang told a Cabinet meeting that he decided to focus on managing state affairs and resolving political and economic uncertainties triggered by Park’s ouster until a new president is elected. Hwang would have been forced to resign and let a deputy prime minister serve as another interim leader if he had stood for the election.South Korean conservatives have been badly hurt by Park’s scandal. In early February, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also regarded as a conservative candidate, withdrew from consideration amid mounting media speculation over his political competence and corruption allegations.
Main category: World
December 19, 2024
