South Korea's National Assembly held the fifth round of inquiries over an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Thursday.
The special committee looking into the case questioned former presidential secretary Woo Byung-woo, who is accused of delinquency of duties for allowing Park's old friend Choi Soon-sil to interfere in state affairs.
A former presidential nurse officer will also face questioning about Park's whereabouts during the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014. There have been allegations that Park did not fulfill her duty as the president during the accident that claimed more than 300 lives.
Other key witnesses summoned, including Choi and Ahn Jong-beom, former senior presidential secretary for policy coordination, however, said they will not attend.
The parliament issued orders of accompaniment for 12 witnesses who declined to attend the hearing. The order is issued to forcefully make a suspect or witness appear at a hearing when he or she refuses to attend without a justifiable reason.
The committee said it will hold another hearing in prison if witnesses currently in custody continue to decline to accept summons for the parliament's investigation. (Yonhap)
