South Korea prosecutors to question ousted leader next week

Park could also face extortion, bribery and other criminal charges, but she has denied any legal wrongdoing and expressed defiance toward her corruption allegations.

“Although it will take time, I believe the truth will certainly come out,” Park said after leaving the presidential Blue House on Sunday.

Park’s comments raised worries about a further deepening of the national divide over her fate. Three people died and dozens were injured in violent clashes between Park’s supporters and police following Friday’s court ruling.

By law, a national vote to find her successor must be held within two months of Friday’s court ruling, and the Ministry of Interior said Wednesday that May 9 would be the election date.

Moon Jae-in, a liberal opposition leader who lost the 2012 presidential election to Park, is the favourite to be the country’s next leader in opinion surveys.

His campaign got a boost Wednesday when Prime Minister and acting leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, considered the potential leading conservative challenger to Moon, said he won’t run.

Hwang told a Cabinet meeting that he decided to focus on managing state affairs and resolving political and economic uncertainties triggered by Park’s ouster until a new president is elected. Hwang would have been forced to resign and let a deputy prime minister serve as another interim leader if he had stood for the election.

South Korean conservatives have been badly hurt by Park’s scandal. In early February, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, also regarded as a conservative candidate, withdrew from consideration amid mounting media speculation over his political competence and corruption allegations.

Hyung-Jin Kim, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

South Korea prosecutors to question ousted leader next week

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