Park not to rule out special counsel probe of bribery scandal: ruling party chief

President Park Geun-hye Thursday did not rule out launching an independent counsel investigation into a bribery scandal involving some of her key aides.
  
She also pledged to seek every measure to quell suspicions surrounding the scandal, Kim Moo-sung, the leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, said after an impromptu meeting with Park prior to her departure for a four-nation South America tour.
  
The rare 40-minute one-on-one, behind-closed-doors meeting came as the government and ruling party are roiled in the fast-unfolding bribery scandal involving Sung Wan-jong, the late head of a mid-size construction firm who killed himself last week.
  
Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo was thrust into the center of the scandal after Sung claimed that he gave the premier 30 million won
(US$27,000) in cash for his parliamentary election campaign in 2013.
  
Seven other heavyweight politicians and former and incumbent presidential officials are also accused of taking up to several millions of dollars from Sung.
  
"(I) am willing to consider whatever measure if it is a way to resolve the suspicions completely," Park was quoted as saying by the ruling party chief. "I have no reason to rule out an investigation by an independent counsel if the adoption of it can help find truth."
  
The president also expressed her intention to make a decision on the scandal following her 12-day trip, Kim said.
  
The second-highest government official, who will act as the head of state during Park's foreign trip, faces demands to step down from the opposition bloc and some ruling party lawmakers.
  
Moon Jae-in, the leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, said earlier in the day that his party will seek to impeach the prime minister if he continues to hold on to his post despite the mushrooming suspicions. (Yonhap)