[Yonhap Photo]
South Korean President Park Geun-hye appointed a former senior prosecutor Wednesday to lead a special counsel probe into her role in a corruption scandal as opposition parties vowed to push ahead with her impeachment.
Park appointed Park Young-soo, a private attorney well known for his handling of major corruption cases involving conglomerates, as the independent counsel to lead a team of 105 members including 20 prosecutors for three months.
"I wish this investigation to be carried out swiftly and thoroughly," Park's spokesman said. The special counsel served as a senior prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office.
Prosecutors have defined President Park as a criminal suspect last week, suspected of playing a key role in a corruption scandal involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil. The scandal has seriously damaged the president's authority, triggering the worst crisis of her political career.
Many citizens and opposition groups want Park's immediate resignation, but the president said Tuesday that she would leave her fate to the National Assembly. She has rejected a request from state prosecutors to have a face-to-face investigation.
Aju News Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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