[Photo by Nangung Jin-wong = timeid@ajunews.com]
Prosecutors said Sunday they are determined to conduct a face-to-face questioning of President Park Geun-hye early this week to investigate her role in the widening corruption scandal involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.
An official of the special prosecution team investigating the corruption and influence-peddling scandal surrounding Choi said that the team has delivered its determination to complete direct questioning of the president by Wednesday.
"The face-to-face questioning of President Park should be conducted by this Tuesday or Wednesday (November 16) at the latest. We're waiting for a faithful answer (from Cheong Wa Dae)," said the official.
Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office, said it expects to have a response around Tuesday.
"Due to the president's schedule and the process of appointing an attorney, it is likely we will be able to determine our position only on Tuesday," presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk said in a text message to reporters.'
The prosecution official stressed that their "basic objective" is to directly question the president, adding that the venue will be determined through consultation.
He noted that the summons and questioning of conglomerate chairmen, who met Park in July last year before donating huge sums to two foundations controlled by Choi, over this weekend has come prior to the questioning of the president.
The unprecedented questioning, if realized, will mark the first time in national history for an incumbent president to be questioned by prosecutors.
Prosecutors have said they have to wrap up an investigation into Park before November 20 when the legal period of Choi's detention expires. Choi was formally put under arrest on Nov. 3 on charges of fraud and abuse of power.
As for the place of questioning, a prosecution source said earlier that the most likely option is a third location, instead of the prosecutors' office or the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, though the presidential office has not been ruled out yet.
The source made clear that sending a questionnaire to the president instead of in-person questioning may not be under consideration.
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
