Extension of Park's detention to be decided this week

By Lee Kyung-min

The Seoul Central District Court is expected to decide whether to extend the detention of ousted former President Park Geun-hye this week, as her current detention period is set to expire next Monday.

Unless the court issues a new arrest warrant, which will extend her detention for another six months, Park will be released from custody and appear before the court only when hearings are held.

The prosecution already filed for a new arrest warrant Sept. 26, and the court will hear the motion today.

Prosecutors claim further investigation is needed concerning bribery charges involving SK Group and Lotte Group.

The two large conglomerates were implicated early in the scandal that removed Park from office, but heads and top officials there have managed to avoid questioning and indictments.

The two were among many business groups that gave money to the Mir and K-Sports foundations set up and controlled by park’s closest, longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.

The prosecution says Park’s defense attorneys have continued delaying tactics to waste the court’s time, claiming this was a strategic move seeking her release from custody on the expectations that the court might reject the request to issue a new arrest warrant.

Prosecutors also argued that given the gravity of the charges and the crucial role it believes Park played, she is highly likely to destroy evidence by coordinating statements with key figures at the two firms.

The prosecution will ask the court that it not grant leniency just to Park, citing the issuance of new arrest warrants for her alleged accomplices after the initial ones expired.

They include former presidential secretaries An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong, former Vice Culture Minister Kim Jong and former CEO of the Korea Creative Content Agency Song Sung-gak.