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Spokesperson Lee Gyu-cheol gives a briefing at the offices of the Special Prosecutors team investigating the Choi Sun-sil scandal

The investigative team of special prosecutor Park Young-soo announced plans on Jan. 17 to question President Park Geun-hye in person no later than early February.

Coming after its request the previous day for an arrest warrant against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on bribery charges, the team’s decision to publicly announce its questioning schedule for Park - the apex figure in the Choi Sun-sil government influence scandal - signals that it is speeding up its investigation process.

“While we haven’t yet had any contact, we feel in-person questioning of President Park will to be done by early February at the latest,” said special prosecutor’s spokesperson Lee Gyu-cheol in a regular briefing on Jan. 17.

It was the team’s first announcement of a questioning schedule for the President. The date selected by the team for questioning appeared to reflect its schedule for indicting Lee Jae-yong, with the aim of questioning Park as a figure implicated in the bribe exchange in order to build a stronger case prior to Lee’s indictment.

Another apparent aim is preventing the details of Lee’s indictment from being leaked to Park’s camp beforehand. If a warrant is issued for Lee at his pre-arrest questioning as a suspect (warrant validity examination) on Jan. 18, the special prosecutor will have to indict him prior to Feb. 6 or 7, when the detention period expires.

The team said that Park appeared likely to comply with the questioning as promised, but added that it would not subject her to forcible questioning if she does not.

“We have no means of forcibly questioning President Park if she does not comply with in-person questioning,” said Lee Gyu-cheol. “We are not yet considering any special measures.”

The team also summoned former President Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cho Yoon-sun for questioning late into the evening on Jan. 17 as suspects in ordering and orchestrating the drafting a blacklist of artists. The team plans to use the results of their questioning as leverage in its questioning of Park, who is suspected of being the main figure behind the blacklist.

The team acquired numerous pieces of major evidence in its raid on the Culture Ministry late last month, including report documents on the blacklist, and secured testimony that the list was reported to Park via Kim Ki-choon, sources said. Former second vice minister Kim Jong also reportedly testified that Kim Ki-choon gave instructions to “do well by Choi Sun-sil.” Kim Ki-choon - who has earned the local nickname “legal mudfish” - may now have a tough time denying the accusations. The special prosecutor’s team appears very likely to request a preliminary arrest warrant against Kim Ki-choon if he continues insisting he had no knowledge about the main charges. On Jan. 17, the National Assembly’s special parliamentary audit committee lodged an accusation with the special prosecutor charging Kim Ki-choon with perjury for his denial of blacklist-related accusations during a hearing last month.

Meanwhile, the special prosecutor’s team announced it was summoning former Ewha Womans University president Choi Kyung-hee for questioning on the morning of Jan. 18 over allegations that Choi Sun-sil’s daughter Jung Yu-ra was given preferential treatment in her admission to and academic handling by the school.

By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter

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