Lawmakers grill aides over Choi scandal

A bipartisan panel of lawmakers sought answers to questions surrounding President Park Geun-hye‘s alleged mishandling of state affairs during a parliamentary inquiry into a scandal involving Park, her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and her former aides.

Topping the agenda in Monday’s session was the president’s whereabouts on the day the Sewol ferry sank in 2014. Rumors are rife that Park might have received plastic surgery with assistance from military medical officers during the nation’s worst-ever maritime disaster, which claimed the lives of more than 300 people.

But the often-testy exchange between committee members and their prominent witnesses revealed little new information about the day, as senior presidential aides in charge of security services for Park refused to attend the inquiry.

“Their testimony is a key to finding out exactly what happened,” said Rep. Hwang Young-chul of Saenuri Party, criticizing the absence of Park Heung-ryul, the chief of the Presidential Security Service, who cited other important businesses as the reason for his absence. 

Rep. Hwang, who represents a group of Saenuri lawmakers critical of Park, urged the committee to take “extraordinary” measures to compel the witness to testify, such as holding another session at Cheong Wa Dae.

The Assembly law mandates that if the witnesses refuse to attend the inquiry without offering a legitimate explanation after receiving a subpoena, they can be sent to prison or forced to pay fines. But there is no measure to enforce their attendance if the witnesses choose to risk punishment.

In the second session of the parliamentary inquiry designed to investigate the allegation that Park’s longtime friend Choi Soon-sil had meddled in state affairs, Monday’s hearing saw several senior presidential aides answer questions.

Opposition lawmakers demanded that the presidential office provide evidence to refute the allegation that Park had been receiving plastic surgery, urging them to allow presidential medical officers to testify before the lawmakers.

In a recent interview with media outlets, the officers denied the rumors that they provided medical attention to the president on the day when the Sewol sank. But opposition lawmakers have contended that they might have been coerced into making such statements by the presidential office. 

“They should come back to South Korea and testify before the lawmakers,” said Rep. Park Young-sun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, referring to one of the officers who was thought to be studying in the United States.

When asked by Saenuri lawmaker Rep. Ha Tae-keung about whether the president had signaled early resignation in her latest national address -- where she said she was willing to step down if the lawmakers come up with a timeframe and legal process -- Presidential Chief of Staff Han Gwang-ok said, “It is correct.”

“The president is not sticking to her designated term,” Han told the lawmaker, referring to the fact that the president’s term is scheduled to end in Feb 2017. “The president has gathered various opinions and reached a decision afterward.”

The chief-of-staff added that the president would “soon” announce a specific plan for her resignation, responding to the mounting criticism that Park’s announcement is a stalling tactic to fend off looming impeachment led by the National Assembly.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)