South Korean Prosecutors Summon Ousted President Park Geun-hye

President Park Geun-hye (Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday summoned ousted President Park Geun-hye for questioning about a corruption scandal that led to her dismissal last week.

Park had been summoned to appear for questioning at 9.30 a.m. (0030 GMT) on 21 March, the prosecutors’ office said in a text message to the media.

South Korea is all set to hold a presidential election on 9 May to replace the impeached Geun-hye.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who has also been acting president since December, said earlier he would not run for president in the election. Hwang had emerged in opinion polls as a top conservative candidate even though he never declared an intention to run.

South Korea Upholds Park’s Impeachment

South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on Friday, removing her from office over a graft scandal involving big business that has gripped the country for months.

Park is South Korea’s first democratically-elected leader to be impeached. A presidential election will be held in 60 days, according to the constitution.

The scandal has preoccupied the country for months, at a time when rival North Korea is pushing ahead with its missile programme and tension is brewing with China over a US missile-defence system being deployed in South Korea.

Park, 65, has been accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former presidential aide, both of whom have been on trial, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.

She is also accused of soliciting bribes from the head of the Samsung Group for government favours, including the backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, that was seen to support the succession of control over the country's largest "chaebol" conglomerate.