Park Geun-hye awaits ruling after 9-hour hearing over arrest
Former President Park Geun-hye walks into the Seoul Central District Court to attend a hearing over her arrest on Thursday morning. The prosecution requested the arrest warrant on multiple charges, including bribery, coercion, abuse of power and the leak of state secrets presumably in 13 cases implicating her close friend and scores of aides. She has denied any wrongdoing. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Former President Park Geun-hye walks into the Seoul Central District Court to attend a hearing over her pre-trial detention on Thursday morning. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Former President Park Geun-hye walks into the Seoul Central District Court to attend a hearing over her pre-trial detention on Thursday morning. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Jung Min-ho
Former President Park Geun-hye attended a court hearing to review the validity of a warrant to arrest her on corruption charges, Thursday.
This was the first time a former president has attended a court hearing on an arrest warrant since the system was adopted in 1997.
Judge Kang Bu-young, 43, is expected to decide whether to issue the warrant Friday morning.
The hearing finished at 7:10 p.m. after eight hours and 40 minutes ― the longest on record.
After the hearing, the court ordered her to stay in a room on the 10th floor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to wait for the decision.
Park appeared at the court at around 10:20 a.m. Unlike her previous public appearances, she seemed nervous, and did not say a word to reporters who asked her a barrage of questions.
After getting out of her black sedan, she hurried into the courthouse, which was surrounded by 2,000 police officers.
The two senior prosecutors who interrogated her last week ― Han Woong-jae and Lee Won-seok ― clashed with her lawyers ― Yoo Young-ha and Jung Jang-hyun ― in the hearing.
Park was also given time to respond to the 13 charges against her, including bribery, abuse of power and the passing of confidential state information to an unauthorized person.
She denied all of the charges, claiming none of her actions came from bad intentions.
Her lawyers said Park did not do anything illegal or order her aides to do so in order to help her confidant Choi Soon-sil, claiming the former president was unaware of her friend’s criminal activities.
However, it is unclear whether the court will accept her claims. The Constitutional Court has already acknowledged her abuse of power for her friend Choi’s personal gain when it upheld her impeachment, March 10.
At the hearing, prosecutors said the risk of Park destroying evidence was obvious, given that she denies her alleged crimes despite “ample evidence.” They also noted she had in fact tried to destroy evidence when the corruption scandal came into the media spotlight.
Prosecutors believe she still can, and will likely, continue to do this through powerful people she appointed to many government organizations during her term.
The bone of contention is to prove the bribery charge against her, in which Park and Choi allegedly colluded to take money from major companies, including Samsung, in return for business favors.
Given that the companies gave money to the Mir and K-Sports foundations controlled by Choi, who held no official government post, prosecutors have to prove that Choi and Park worked together to share the profits.
As evidence that the two “share properties,” independent counsel Park Young-soo ― who headed a separate investigation previously ― said Lim Sun-yi, Choi’s mother, bought a house in southern Seoul for the former president.
While companies claim they were forced by Park to make “donations,” prosecutors believe the money was part of “deals” with Park and Choi. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has already been indicted on the bribery charge among others.
If convicted of bribery, Park could face from 10 years to life in prison.
Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said the court needs to issue the warrant, given that most of the other key suspects in the scandal have already been arrested.
“People will have doubts about the fairness of the law if she avoids arrest,” he said during a party meeting before the hearing.
Rep. Joo Seung-yong, floor leader of the People’s Party, also expressed concern over the risk of the destruction of evidence, urging the court to show “all people, including former presidents, are equal under the law.”
Park is also suspected of creating a blacklist and a white-list to selectively support artists based on their political orientation, and sharing state secrets with Choi.
Other allegations include unlawfully intervening in the management of private companies, including Hyundai Motor, POSCO and KT, by pressuring them into signing contracts with Choi and her friends’ firms.
If Park is arrested, prosecutors will have up to 20 days to indict her for trial.
Before leaving for the court, Park’s hairdresser visited her home as usually to do her hair in her favorite chignon style.
Her supporters started to gather in front of her house from early morning. They waved the national flag, and some shed tears, as her car left her house.