South Korean President to offer 2nd public apology over Choi Soon-sil scandal Friday

Prime Minister nominee Kim Byong-joon sheds tears while speaking about his nomination during a press conference at an institute of the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

Former secretary to Kim Dae-jung named as new chief of staff

By Kang Seung-woo

Han Gwang-ok

President Park Geun-hye plans to address the nation, today, to possibly express her willingness to face questioning as well as offer another apology over the ever expanding scandal involving her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday.

In addition, she is also expected to detail a plan to delegate part of her executive authority, related to social and economic affairs, to her prime minister nominee, while focusing on security and foreign policies.

On Oct. 25, one day after news reports that Choi, who holds no official title in the Park administration, had advance access to her speech drafts and other classified documents, the President apologized over the issue. Since then, there have been a myriad of allegations that Choi significantly intervened in state affairs.

Park’s address comes as she is under increasing pressure to face questioning over the influence-peddling scandal.

Prime minister nominee Kim Byong-joon said Thursday that a criminal investigation into President Park over the scandal was possible.

Meeting the press a day after being nominated, Kim said, “There are varying interpretations of whether the head of state can be investigated, but I believe that she can face questioning.”

“However, she is the head of state, so we should be careful about the procedure and method.”

Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong said the same day that he will consider the option of posing questions directly to Park if it is deemed necessary to get to the truth.

“Legal experts have made it clear that a president cannot be summoned for questioning, but there will be no limits if Park volunteers to answer questions,” the minister told lawmakers.

In addition, ruling party lawmakers who are loyal to President Park reportedly shared the view on the need to propose the idea of questioning to her.

Previously, the prosecution and Cheong Wa Dae have been negative toward any investigation of the President, stressing that there was no precedent for questioning an incumbent head of state.

The prime minister nominee held a press conference, Wednesday, and vowed to form a bipartisan Cabinet in close consultation with the opposition parties, if he takes office.

Kim Byong-joon also touched on the issue of revising the Constitution, saying it was a job for the National Assembly and the people, not the President.

Regarding the revision, Park proposed amending the Constitution in a parliamentary speech Oct. 24 and expressed her intention to lead the move should parliamentary discussions on the issue falter.

Kim’s proposals came after the three opposition parties decided to boycott his confirmation hearing, calling him a “puppet” of Park and denouncing the President for “playing a trick” to overcome the political crisis triggered by the scandal.

The parties dismissed the nominee’s proposals as “meaningless.”

The opposition is angry about the selection of Kim, who served as a political adviser to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, as President Park did not consult with them about the reshuffle despite ongoing discussions about a neutral Cabinet, under which she will take a back seat to a powerful prime minister.

An emotional Kim said, “I plan to meet them and seek understanding, but if they reject me, I will accept it.”

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae said, “The President unilaterally named Kim as prime minister, ignoring the National Assembly. Other than this, I have nothing to say about him.”

Also on Thursday, President Park named a new chief of staff and senior secretary for political affairs in a follow-up reshuffle of key aides to contain the fallout from the scandal.

Park appointed Han Gwang-ok, the chairman of the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion, as her new chief of staff, and Hur Won-je, a former journalist-turned-politician, as her senior secretary for political affairs, according to presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk.

Amid mounting public outcry over the influence-peddling scandal, Park replaced her senior aides for civil affairs and public affairs, Sunday, followed by the selection of a new prime minister and two other Cabinet members, Wednesday. Last Friday, Park ordered her 10 senior secretaries to tender their resignations and fired four of them.

Although Han, 74, has worked for President Park since her election campaign in October, 2012, he is better known as a close aide to the late President Kim Dae-jung, who led the country from 1998 to 2003.

The former four-term lawmaker served as Kim’s presidential chief of staff and the inaugural chairman of the Economic and Social Development Commission, a tripartite committee of government, business and labor representatives.

The 74-year-old also headed the Millennium Democratic Party, a predecessor of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

“I will convey public opinions from all walks of life to the President,” Han told reporters.

Park’s new senior political adviser formerly worked as a journalist for several media outlets including local broadcasters, KBS and SBS. He also served as a lawmaker from 2008 to 2012.