Ousted President Park Geun-hye said that she will turn up at the prosecution’s office to attend the face-to-face questioning set for next Tuesday over a corruption scandal that led to her impeachment.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office summoned Park on Wednesday as a suspect to undergo the in-person questioning scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. It said earlier that the timetable is “not negotiable.”
 
Park’s lawyers said that she will fully cooperate with the probe to help truth come out.

“Former President Park Geun-hye will faithfully go through the grilling at the time and date designated by the prosecution,” her lawyers told reporters in a text message. Park now has six lawyers, who all defended Park during her impeachment trial.

While still in office, she had effectively killed the possibility of face-to-face questioning by an independent counsel team, who recently ended its 70-day probe into the scandal, and blocked its attempt to raid the presidential office.

If she fails to show up for questioning without a legitimate reason, she could be forcibly summoned with a court-issued warrant.
 

The Constitutional Court ruled to remove Park from office Friday by upholding a parliamentary impeachment, stripping Park of her presidential immunity that had shielded her from prosecution and criminal charges.

She faces a total of 13 charges including abuse of authority and bribery.

For colluding with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to raise donations from local firms including Samsung Group for the Mir and K-Sports foundations, the prosecution charged Park with extortion and independent counsel Park Young-soo charged her with bribery.

After its term expired, the counsel team handed over investigation records to state prosecutors to continue the probe.

Park has denied all the charges, saying she has been framed.

Upon her return to her private residence in southern Seoul on Sunday, Park said through her spokesperson that the truth would come out eventually. The remarks are largely taken as a refusal to accept the court’s ruling to oust her and her intention to fight against her charges at the court.

She is keeping a low-profile without making any public appearances, with only a few pro-Park lawmakers and her hairdresser allowed into her home.

One of her lawyers, Yoo Yeong-ha, visited Park’s private residence in southern Seoul at 1:10 p.m. to consult with her for about two hours on Wednesday.

If she responds to the summons, Park will become the fourth president of South Korea to face prosecutorial questioning, following former Presidents Roh Tae-woo, Chun Doo-hwan and the late Roh Moo-hyun.

It remains to be seen whether an arrest warrant will be sought for Park. South Korean law allows the court to issue arrest warrants for suspects when they are a flight risk or could destroy evidence.

Major figures involved in the scandal including Park’s friend Choi, former Presidential Secretary An Chong-bum and Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong were arrested with physical detention.

By Ock Hyun-ju (leaticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)