Park Geun-hye hesitant to testify in court
By Kim Rahn
President Park Geun-hye has not decided whether to attend the Constitutional Court’s final hearing to defend herself.
She may be hesitant because her appearance can no longer be used as a tactic to delay proceedings, with the court determined to close the trial this month. Facing the National Assembly panel’s questions, she may also have to expose her difficulty speaking publicly without a script.
Park’s attorneys said Park had not yet decided whether to attend the last hearing. The court delayed the final hearing from Friday to Monday and told Park’s lawyers to notify it of her decision by Sunday.
If Park attends, she will be the first head of state to testify at the Constitutional Court.
Her defense team earlier recommended she appear and tell the public her account of why the impeachment is improper. The hearing could be her last chance to do so because the independent counsel-led investigation team may not be able to question her as its probe period expires Tuesday.
The attorneys also planned to use Park’s attendance as a delaying tactic by asking the court to hold further hearings because acting court President Lee Jung-mi’s retirement on March 13 will raise Park’s chance to avoid an ouster. But the court said the President should follow its hearing schedule, showing a strong will not to allow any delays.
Park and her attorneys also initially believed the President could make a final statement at the last hearing without Assembly panel questioning. But the court said the panel and the judges have the right to question Park if she appears.
Under these conditions, Park and her lawyers started weighing the advantages and disadvantages of her attendance.
If she attends, she will face sharp questions from the panel, which is planning to grill Park for at least an hour and is preparing hundreds of questions. And it is possible Park may give contradictory testimony to that of other witnesses that will reveal holes in her logic. This will not only be a disadvantage in the trial but also cement public sentiment that Park has been a “puppet” controlled by her confidant Choi Soon-sil, who allegedly meddled in state affairs.
Park has been notorious for avoiding public events without a script, such as press conferences or discussion sessions. She often missed the point when dealing with unexpected questions and failed to complete unscripted sentences. In press conferences, Cheong Wa Dae collected the questions from journalists and scripted her answers, never allowing free question and answer sessions.
Park’s attorneys also said they need to talk about possible questions with the Assembly panel if Park attends the hearing.