South Korean prosecutors summoned ex-President Park Geun-hye to undergo questioning early next week, a prosecution official said Wednesday, as she was removed from office over a string of corruption allegations.
"The prosecution team has sent a summons to former President Park Geun-hye's legal representative, asking her to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at 9:30 a.m. on March 21 to be questioned," an official at a special task force under the district office told reporters. The summons was delivered to Park at around 9:40 a.m.
"Former President Park Geun-hye will faithfully go through the interrogation at the time and date demanded by the prosecution," her group of attorneys told reporters in a text message later in the day.
"Her lawyers will actively cooperate in the upcoming investigative procedures, such as submitting necessary materials, in order to help reveal the truth," the message said.
Park, the country's first democratically elected leader to be ousted, has been named a criminal suspect for allegedly abusing her power and colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil in extorting money from local conglomerates.Park has so far effectively rejected undergoing a direct investigation, while a number of her former aides have been questioned over their alleged involvement in the scandal.
The Constitutional Court's decision to oust her Friday stripped Park of the immunity that had protected her from criminal prosecution.
Park will be the country's fourth former president to undergo questioning over criminal allegations, following Roh Tae-woo, Chun Doo-hwan and the late Roh Moo-hyun.
Roh committed suicide in 2009 amid an investigation into allegations that his family members accepted illicit funds. (Yonhap)