When former president Park Geun-hye was proudly sworn into office as the nation’s first female leader, she would have never imagined this day would come – being questioned by the prosecution as a criminal suspect. It only took 47 seconds for ousted Park to get out of her black sedan, stand for photos and deliver her two-sentence message to the public before entering the prosecution’s office Tuesday.  Former President Park Geun-hye speaks to reporters after arriving at the Seoul Central District

Former President Park Geun-hye appeared before the prosecution’s office Tuesday to be grilled as a criminal suspect over the corruption scandal that led to her impeachment. Escorted by security guards and her lawyers, Park arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul at 9:23 a.m. to undergo an interrogation expected to last past midnight. Former President Park Geun-hye (Screen captured from SBS)“I am sorry,” Park said before entering the building. “I will sincerely

A day before the questioning of former President Park Geun-hye, the public prosecutors’ office was in full swing Monday to prepare for the high-profile event. Security has been tightened around the office, media companies have set up camera ladders and a press line has been set up to mark the route Park will head to the building.Expelled from power on March 10 over a corruption scandal, the former leader will be read her rights before being questioned just like any ordinary criminal suspect. She

  

Following the monthslong street rallies that peacefully removed President Park Geun-hye from office, some politicians in South Korea say that the protesters should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for being a role model for other troubled democracies. 　Massive protests by citizens holding candles pushed the parliament to vote to impeach Park on Dec. 9 over a corruption scandal involving Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil. It was upheld by the Constitutional Court on March 10, which many hailed as

A US animal rights group called on the South Korean government on Thursday to provide immediate care for nine dogs that ousted President Park Geun-hye left behind when she moved out of the presidential palace. 　“Being left behind is frightening, confusing, and dangerous for dogs and other animals who depend on their human guardians for food, water, shelter, veterinary care, and all their other needs,” said PETA Asia Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker in a statement.　“There is

Alleged links have been found between the judge presiding over the trial of Samsung Group heir apparent Lee Jae-yong and Choi Soon-sil, sparking controversy over the fairness of the trial.Choi is a central figure in the scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment. Samsung Group’s de facto chief is suspected of having offered kickbacks to Choi-controlled foundations in return for political favors from the the Park administration.Samsung Group’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong (center) (Y

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.” Prosecution Service (Yonhap)Park’s lawyers said that she will fully cooperate with

Ousted President Park Geun-hye is facing criticism for not taking her dogs with her upon moving out of the presidential residence Sunday. CARE, a Seoul-based animal rights group, blasted Park for not being responsible. “It is no different from abandonment that the once chief of state gives up nine Jindo dogs she herself adopted and breed,” the group said on its website Monday.The family of dogs consists of a male-female pair, which Park had received as a gift from her neighbors when she left her

Choi Soon sil, former President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante, apologized to the public in an indication of a change in her attitude, during the first hearing held since Park Geun-hye was formally ousted from office by the court. “I am so sorry to the public that we are sitting here as part of the corruption scandal. I feel I am very perplexed,” Choi said during the hearing. She is standing trial for colluding with Park and former presidential aide An Chong-bum to extort donations from loc

A day after former President Park Geun-hye returned home from the presidential residence, over a hundred die-hard supporters launched a special unit to guard her home around the clock. It consists of some 150 supporters of the expelled leader. They will stage a relay of sit-in protests around the clock for one month near her house in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, said the group. “From the passage of the parliamentary impeachment motion to the court’s ruling, we condemn the special counsel and m

South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Friday ruled unanimously to remove President Park Geun-hye from office, the capstone of a sweeping corruption scandal that has engulfed the country for months. “Hereby, in a unanimous decision, the court issues the verdict: the court rules to expel President Park Geun-hye,” acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said in a nationally televised ruling. With the decision, which is final and unchallengeable, Park has become the nation’s first democratically elected le

Tension is rising in South Korea as the clock ticks toward the announcement of a court decision on President Park Geun-hye’s fate. Expected to last about an hour, the verdict hearing on the president’s impeachment trial will start at 11 a.m. on Friday and is to be broadcast live to the nation. On Thursday, the police tightened security outside the Constitutional Court and the presidential office, as supporters and opponents of Park held heated rallies, with the lanes from Anguk Station near the

Nearly three months after the parliament voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether to unseat or reinstate the embattled president Friday. The court’s eight justices will vote to accept, dismiss or reject the impeachment, possibly right before the opening of the verdict hearing, to prevent the results from being leaked. Here is a guide to what could happen from Friday onward, which will be critical in shaping the political landscape of

Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye’s longtime confidante, filed a petition with a Seoul court Tuesday, asking it to review the constitutionality of the probe by the independent counsel into the scandal involving her and the president. “The independent counsel was recommended unilaterally by the Democratic Party of Korea and People’s Party, giving a special privilege to certain political forces,” Choi’s lawyer Lee Kyung-jae said. “The unconstitutionality is too serious and clear.” Choi Soon-s