Transfer of Park's presidential records to state archives to begin next month

The government plans to begin the transfer to state archives of presidential records which may hold key evidence in the ongoing corruption probe of ousted leader Park Geun-hye, according to archive officials Tuesday.

Investigators have yet to examine the records as the presidential office repeatedly turned down their request for a search to gather evidence, citing security reasons.

"We have suggested the agencies that created the records to begin the transfer around April 20," an official at the Presidential Archives under the National Archives of Korea (NAK) said.

The state archives said it plans to complete the transfer by May 9 when the presidential election will be held. Critics here have voiced concerns over the possibility of some presidential records being destroyed in the process. Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Park on Monday citing the possibility of destruction of evidence.

By law, the president can also restrict access to designated records for a period of 15 years, or up to 30 years if they are related to privacy issues.

The authority will be given to Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn who took over on Dec. 9 after Park was impeached by parliament.

"We have dispatched officials to government agencies to check the status of the records and to advise on how to sort them out," the official said. "They will also be monitoring if there are any omissions in the process.” (Yonhap)