The biggest point of dispute throughout the special investigation on President Park Geun-hye’s corruption allegations was whether or not the state chief could be held liable for bribery charges.
If proven, it is this offense that may confirm the key suspicion that she indeed abused her powers as state chief to confer benefits upon her civilian confidante Choi Soon-sil.
The intricate monetary connection is also what links the Choi scandal to an extensive political agenda, involving not only the president but a number of high-profile public officials and conglomerate leaders.
On Tuesday, the special team led by independent counsel Park Young-soo indicted Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and heir apparent of Samsung Group, on charges of handing over some 43.3 billion won ($38.3 million) in bribes to President Park and Choi.
It also booked the president on related charges and set to handing the case back to state prosecutors. Park, as incumbent president, holds immunity to criminal indictment, a right which is to vanish if the court approves her impeachment.
If proven, it is this offense that may confirm the key suspicion that she indeed abused her powers as state chief to confer benefits upon her civilian confidante Choi Soon-sil.
The intricate monetary connection is also what links the Choi scandal to an extensive political agenda, involving not only the president but a number of high-profile public officials and conglomerate leaders.
On Tuesday, the special team led by independent counsel Park Young-soo indicted Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and heir apparent of Samsung Group, on charges of handing over some 43.3 billion won ($38.3 million) in bribes to President Park and Choi.
It also booked the president on related charges and set to handing the case back to state prosecutors. Park, as incumbent president, holds immunity to criminal indictment, a right which is to vanish if the court approves her impeachment.
The bribery allegations involving Park, Choi and Lee are that Park exerted power on Choi’s behalf, while Lee offered benefits to Choi.
This three-way connection is also an important factor for the conservative camp and Park’s supporters in their claims that the president made no personal profits during the process.
“We had no choice but to offer support (for the two foundations connected to Choi and her equestrian daughter Chung Yoo-ra) due to President Park’s unconcealed pressure,” Samsung chief Lee said repeatedly during the investigation.
He therefore admitted the wrongdoings of the president and her associate, while denying his own involvement in bribery. Lee’s claim was that he was a victim in the power game, not a counterpart seeking benefits in return.
Park, too, denied any compensatory relations with Lee or any of the other conglomerate chiefs, asserting that her push for funds was only for the sake of public interest.
“I have never accepted any illicit request (from Lee),” the president said through a written statement, submitted by her lawyers to the Constitutional Court on Monday.
She also repeatedly denied having any knowledge of Choi’s influence-peddling, describing herself as being “betrayed” by her longtime friend.
While the president faces a number of other charges, such as receiving illegal cosmetic treatment on the day of the Sewol ferry sinking in 2014, those alleged faults are largely considered insufficient in proving her deficiency as state chief.
There is also the ongoing trail involving suspicions that the government kept a list of anti-government artists, but investigators have not yet succeeded in proving its link to the president. Former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun were earlier arrested on their involvement in this blacklist.
For such reasons, the bribery charge was deemed a key reason why the independent counsel team decided to hand over the case to prosecutors -- so Park may face criminal indictment and sanctions, if she is removed from power.
The court’s final ruling on her impeachment trial is expected to be delivered on March 10 or 13.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald