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South Korean president appoints defense attorney in preparation for prosecution's questioning

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Yoo Yeong-ha

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday appointed an attorney as prosecutors are preparing to directly question the embattled head of state this week over her alleged link to a corruption and influence peddling scandal involving her close confidante.

Park tapped Yoo Yeong-ha, a former member of the standing committee of the National Human Rights Commission as her legal representative, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

Prosecutors have told the presidential office that it hopes to question Park face to face by Wednesday.

Park faces suspicions that she may have played a role in pressuring major conglomerates into donating large sums of money to two nonprofit foundations, which legal experts say could constitute an abuse of authority.

She is also suspected of allowing her confidante, Choi Soon-sil, to gain access to advance drafts of presidential speeches and documents, some of which reportedly include classified information.

This suspicion raises the possibility of Park violating the law concerning the handling of presidential records or official secrets.

Later in the day, Yoo and the prosecution will begin discussing the venue, time and method of the inquiry into the president, a source said.

Observers said given the complexity of the high-profile case, Park's attorney may need some time to prepare for the probe and will prefer to delay the questioning session till next week.

Regarding the venue for questioning, observers said prosecutors may meet the president at a place outside the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

Yoo's relations with the president date back to 2010 when he served as a legal advisor to Park, who was then a member of the Supreme Council of the Grand National Party, a precursor to the ruling Saenuri Party.

After passing a bar exam in 1992, Yoo served as prosecutor for some seven years in district offices in Seoul, Changwon, Cheongju and Incheon. Since 2004, he has worked as an attorney. (Yonhap)