Park Geun-Hye denied all charges during the questioning that ended shortly before midnight, Yonhap said citing sources, adding that prosecutors declined to confirm this.
SEOUL: South Korea’s ousted president Park Geun-Hye was interrogated for 14 hours on Tuesday about the corruption and abuse of power scandal that brought her down, Yonhap news agency reported.
Park denied all charges during the questioning that ended shortly before midnight, Yonhap said citing sources, adding that prosecutors declined to confirm this.
The nation’s first female president, whose dismissal was confirmed by South Korea’s top court earlier this month, was expected to leave the prosecutors’ office after reviewing her statements made to investigators, Yonhap said.
Park, who was protected by executive privilege while in office, had earlier apologised to the public as she arrived at the prosecutors’ office in Seoul, adding: «I will undergo the investigation sincerely. «
As a private citizen once again, Park’s convoy drove at walking pace through crowds of flag-waving supporters lining the street outside her home — some of them lying on the pavement to try to block her exit before she left.
Every inch of the journey on Tuesday morning was covered live on television, with cameramen trailing the vehicles in cars and on motorcycles and at fixed points along the route.
Questioning by prosecutors is a key step in South Korea’s judicial process before a suspect is charged. It can last for many hours, late into the night, and can be repeated if officials deem it necessary.
Park faced two prosecutors and an investigator and was accompanied by one of her lawyers, but standard procedure bars him from interjecting, only allowing consultations during rest breaks — which could be an issue for her.
