It feels as though the country has been sucked into a black hole ― one created by the late businessman Sung Woan-jong’s memo implicating eight politicians in a growing bribery scandal.

What began as a probe into the failed energy diplomacy during the Lee Myung-bak administration has now become an all-consuming affair that has resulted in Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, whose name was on the memo, offering to resign while President Park Geun-hye is on a four-nation tour of South America.

On Thursday the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy chairman Moon Jae-in called for an independent counsel probe into illegal political funding. While the ruling Saenuri Party chairman Kim Moo-sung welcomed the demand for an independent counsel probe, he rejected Moon’s call to form a separate independent counsel for it. Currently in place is a standing independent counsel investigation system, in which the president appoints the independent counsel. Moon explained that a separate independent counsel is necessary as the people facing investigation are closely tied to Park.

On the other hand, the Saenuri Party is calling for an investigation into how Sung received special amnesty on two occasions during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Moon, who was a close associate of the late Roh, maintains that the second amnesty was issued at the behest of someone from then President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s side.

Meanwhile, the original investigation into the Lee administration’s energy diplomacy appears to be floundering, or at least forgotten in the minds of people who are gripped by the unfolding drama of the political bribery scandal.

It goes without saying that all these issues are being exploited to the fullest by political parties ahead of next week’s by-elections. For the average citizen, the snowballing political scandals and attacks waged by the parties are enough to cause political fatigue, distrust and apathy.

When Park returns to Seoul next week, she will have her plate full. She should return ready to exercise leadership to lead the country out of the political maelstrom that threatens to consume the country at a time when, as she has repeatedly said, it stands at a critical juncture.