'President must take witness stand'
Assembly probe will start on Dec. 5
By Kim Hyo-jin
Rival parties may summon President Park Geun-hye as a witness in a parliamentary investigation into a corruption scandal involving her and her confidant Choi Soon-sil, according to party officials, Monday.
Opposition parties have called for Park’s appearance for the probe, which is scheduled to start Dec. 5, saying Park is a central figure in the scandal.
The calls are gaining momentum after the prosecution branded Park as an “accomplice” to Choi and former presidential aides An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong who were indicted Sunday on various charges including abuse of authority, coercion, and mishandlig of confidential documents.
The Assembly panel tasked with the probe decided on the first list of 21 witnesses, earlier in the day, including those indicted; former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon; ex-presidential secretaries Woo Byung-woo and Cho Won-dong; those who worked for Mir and K-sports foundations controlled by Choi; and leaders of the nation’s eight largest conglomerates.
They are Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik, Hanhwa Chairman Kim Seung-youn, Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho and Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin.
Lawmakers affiliated with the panel said they will continue discussing whether to summon President Park.
The panel, consisting of nine ruling party lawmakers and nine opposition lawmakers, is scheduled to hold four hearings on Dec. 5, 6, 13 and 14 and will also listen to reports by the Presidential Secretariat, the Office of the Presidential Security and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Dec. 12.
The lawmakers said they will discuss about schedule for late December shortly.
They decided visit the anti-aging clinic Chaum, affiliated with the Cha Medical Group. The President is suspected of obtaining proxy prescriptions and medical attention from a doctor at the private medical institution although she had doctors and medical staff at Cheong Wa Dae.
According to prosecutors, Park allegedly made An Chong-bum pressure conglomerates to raise 77.4 billion won ($65.7 million) in funds to estbablish the Mir and K-Sports foundations, which were used for Choi’s personal benefit.
The prosecution said Park ordered An to arrange one-on-one meetings with the leaders of the seven conglomerates to get their “donations” for the two foundations. It also said Park directly requested 7 billion won from Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin.
Samsung allegedly donated 20.4 billion won to the two foundations, followed by Hyundai Motor with 12.8 billion won, SK with 11.1 billion won, LG with 7.8 billion won and Hanwha with 2.5 billion won.
Rival parties overwhelmingly passed a motion to launch a parliamentary investigation into the corruption scandal, Thursday. The 18-member panel will conduct the probe for up to 120 days with a one-time extention for 30 days available.