Despite his sudden move, the detention motion remains valid.

“Though the party sternly stood against my appearance before the prosecution, I do not want to burden the party and my colleagues,” the 70-year-old third-term lawmaker was quoted as saying before leaving for the prosecutors’ office.

Park’s move was widely seen by the ruling party as an attempt to save face for himself and the party.

“Park’s appearance before the prosecution is something he should have done all along,” said Saenuri spokesperson Kim Young-woo in a brief statement Tuesday.

Park caught the prosecutors off-guard by offering them little time to prepare a thorough interrogation.

“The arrest warrant only concerns the key allegations against Park,” an official of the savings bank probe team had said on Monday, hinting that the prosecutors had an ace up in their sleeves.

The prosecutors’ questioning, however, was not thought to be comprehensive.

“There was nothing in the prosecutorial questioning other than what was written in the arrest warrant,” said DUP Rep. Park Young-sun after she met Park.

The prosecution is currently planning to summon Park for another round of questioning but could face accusations that it is politically motivated.

The DUP called a provisional session to be held on Saturday, the day after the July session is to end.

“The DUP’s intention, by requesting a parliamentary session right away, is to shelter its floor leader from arrest,” said a Saenuri spokesperson in a statement Wednesday.

Under the National Assembly Act, the detainment of incumbent lawmakers during a working session requires majority approval of the house.

The hostile relations between the senior lawmaker and the prosecution go a long way back.

In 2003, Park was accused of taking 100 million won in kickbacks and spent three years in jail. After his release, he contributed to having the prosecutor-general candidate resign, causing panic in the prosecution.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)