By Lee Kyung-min
The prosecution questioned former President Park Geun-hye at the Seoul Detention Center, Tuesday, the first such interrogation after she was taken into custody.
Han Woong-jae, a senior prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, who is investigating the corruption scandal involving Park, visited the center in Euiwang, Gyeonggi Province. At least one assistant prosecutor and a female investigator accompanied him. Park’s two defense lawyers Yoo Young-ha and Chae Myung-sung were also present.
Most of the former president’s accomplices are also detained at the facility, including Choi Soon-sil, Park’s confidant and the central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that led to her impeachment and removal from office. It also led to the jailing of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun.
The prosecutors’ visit came at the request of Park who asked that she be questioned at the center, wary of public exposure if she appeared at the prosecutors’ office in Seocho, southern Seoul.
The change of venue, according to the prosecution, was due to Park’s lawyers pointing to her psychological condition and the need to observe security protocols. Also two other disgraced former presidents — Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan — were questioned inside the detention facility.
The questioning focused on the allegation that she was given a 29.8 billion won ($26.5 million) bribe out of 43.3 billion won promised by business groups. Park was also asked about the allegation she took part in the creation of a culture blacklist, through which artists deemed opposed to her were refused state subsidies.
Han and his team were initially expected to question Choi before or after interrogating Park to compare their statements, but were unable to do so as the former was attending her own criminal trial on charges of bribery at the Seoul Central District Court.
Most of Park’s former or incumbent aides have been indicted over their suspected roles in the scandal. They include officials from Cheong Wa Dae and government ministries, and former presidential secretaries An Chong-bum and Jeong Ho-seong.
Han’s team left around 6 p.m. It team will hold a couple of more sessions to end questioning before April 17, when the presidential election campaign officially starts. The prosecution has until April 19 to indict Park, or she will be released.
Meanwhile, Park did not add lawyer Seo Hyang-hee, the wife of her younger brother Park Ji-man, to her nine-member defense team.
Earlier rumors indicated that the younger Park, who is thought to harbor doubts about the team for its “subpar” representation throughout the Constitutional Court proceedings, sought to create a new team to help his sister with the criminal trial. Seo visited Park at 11:30 a.m., Monday, but left 30 minutes later after Park refused to see her.