The special counsel team investigating President Lee Myung-bak’s retirement home scandal said Tuesday that they do not intend to follow through with a plan to question first lady Kim Yoon-ok if she refuses to cooperate.

“The first lady, as she is just a witness in this case, may choose not to respond to our request for an interview. In that case, we have no means, and no intention, to force her,” assistant special counsel Lee Chang-hoon said in a press briefing.

A day earlier, Lee had told reporters that his team had decided to question the first lady and was consulting with the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae about the interview details.

Shortly after his press briefing, however, Cheong Wa Dae expressed regret, saying there was no consultation under way regarding an interview with the first lady.

The scandal centers around the joint purchase of a plot of land in southern Seoul by President Lee’s only son and the Presidential Security Service last year where the president planned to build a retirement home. Si-hyung, the president’s son, borrowed the entire 1.12 billion won ($1 million) he paid for his share of the land from his uncle and a bank.

First lady Kim provided her real estate as collateral for her son to take out 600 million won from a bank.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)