President Park Geun-hye was an accomplice to a significant share of the crimes allegedly committed by her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil and two former aides, state prosecutors said Sunday.
Lee Young-ryeol, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, revealed this in a nationally televised press conference, announcing the midterm results of a high-profile investigation into the Choi scandal.
Lee also said the office’s special investigative team was indicting three key figures in the scandal -- Choi, Park’s former secretaries Jeong Ho-seong and An Jong-bum. Park was not included as according to the Constitution, the president is exempt from criminal prosecution, except in cases of insurrection and treason.
Still, the prosecution made clear its determination to continue investigating the conservative leader as a criminal suspect. It may seek to interview her face-to-face interview in the coming days.
Last week, the team had tried to question Park in person, but did not manage to, as the president had delayed the process.
Park, who is resisting mounting calls to step down from her post, is also set to face more scrutiny, as the National Assembly is preparing to launch an independent counsel-led probe and a parliamentary inquiry over the Choi scandal.
Their findings, as well as that of the ongoing prosecutorial probe, could lay the legal groundwork for her eventual impeachment.
The Choi scandal broke out late last month, when it was revealed that Choi, Park’s friend for 40 years, may have been meddling in state affairs and peddling influence such as by granting favors to her close associates and pulling strings to get special treatment for her daughter.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
