Cracks in Park’s defense team?

Former President Park Geun-hye has fired seven of her nine lawyers, revealing cracks in her defense team as prosecutors continue their intense interrogation of the jailed leader.

Senior Prosecutor Lee Won-seok questioned Park on Monday at a detention facility south of Seoul where she has been in custody since March 31, in her fourth interrogation session in jail, zeroing in on the bribery allegation.

The prosecution is pushing to indict Park this week, before her arrest warrant expires on April 19. It is also hoping for a swift closure to the high-profile investigation, as the next presidential election is slated for May 9.

Meanwhile, an official from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office confirmed Monday that Park has fired more than two-thirds of her lawyers.

“Park’s legal team has sent out dismissal notifications for the seven lawyers,” an official from the office told reporters, adding that the reason was not stated.

The move comes after the repeated failures of her defense team, first during her impeachment trial and then the court hearing on her arrest. Park has steadfastly denied all allegations. While refusing to attend any of the impeachment hearings at the Constitutional Court, Park had refused to cooperate with state prosecutors and an independent counsel.

On March 30, the ousted leader attended a court hearing on her arrest, but failed to avoid detention, with a judge acknowledging worries raised by prosecutors that she might destroy evidence.

The two remaining in her legal team are Yoo Young-ha and Chae Myung-seong, who have been accompanying Park in questioning sessions in jail, the prosecution official confirmed.

The discharged lawyers, most of whom were hired during the top court’s impeachment trial, are known to have had conflicts with the two while coming up with legal strategies for Park, seemingly a major cause behind their recent dismissal.

The alleged bribery scheme of Park involves her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is undergoing her own trial. Park is accused of colluding with Choi to extort donations from major local business groups for Choi-controlled foundations, which the prosecutors say were bribes to Park.

Another former confidante of Park, Woo Byung-woo, will attend a court hearing on his arrest on Tuesday morning, as he is accused of abetting irregularities allegedly committed by Park and Choi, while serving as presidential secretary for civil affairs in 2015 and 2016.

Woo is the latest high-profile figure to face criminal charges in connection to the scandal involving Park. So far, a total of 30 have been indicted.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)