President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday appointed former chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office Park Young-soo as the independent counsel to probe into her alleged involvement in the influence-peddling of her confidante Choi Soon-sil.

The independent counsel, which is to substitute the ongoing prosecutorial investigation, is to go through preparatory procedures for the next 20 days, after which it will carry out an in-depth probe for 70 days, or 100 days upon the president’s approval for an extension.

“The president has appointed Park among the two candidates recommended earlier by opposition parties,” said Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Jung Youn-kuk in a press briefing.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, runner-up People’s Party and progressive minority Justice Party on Tuesday recommended Park and Cho Seung-sik, another former senior prosecutor, as plausible figures to lead the independent counsel.

Of the two, Park is said to be the pick of the People’s Party, especially its interim chief and senior lawmaker Rep. Park Jie-won.

The newly appointed counsel, currently working as partner in a local law firm, formerly served as secretary for the late liberal President Kim Dae-jung, senior official at the Supreme Prosecutors’ office and chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

“The president hopes that the independent counsel probe will be carried out in a speedy and thorough manner,” the spokesman also said.

The president had up to three days to make her pick on the probe chief, but made the announcement in just a day, reflecting her earlier stance that she would face a “politically neutral” independent probe rather than the prosecution’s questioning.

The choice also came in the wake of her third address to the nation, in which she said that she would let the National Assembly decide the fate of her presidency.

The speech, despite its conceding tone, was largely interpreted as Park’s refusal to immediately resign, as well as an attempt to win time by pushing for a constitutional revision, a measure necessary to reduce her five-year term to four years.

“Once the probe kicks off, the president intends to fully cooperate in the process and respond to questioning so as to explain the circumstances of the affairs,” Jung said.

Such an active tone formed a clear contrast with Park’s repeated refusal to meet prosecutors, especially after she was stated as accomplice in the indicted wrongdoings of her aides.

Meanwhile, some suggested doubts on the neutrality of the special investigator, pointing out his affiliation to a close acquaintance of Woo Byung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, who is also considered a key figure in the Choi corruption scandal.

Park is also known to be close with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, having worked together in the Busan Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office back in 2003.

By Bae Hyun-jung(tellme@heraldcorp.com)