Ousted Park apologizes, then faces prosecutors

SEOUL - Ousted South Korean president Park Geun-hye met on Tuesday with prosecutors to be questioned over a corruption scandal that led to her impeachment earlier this month.

Park, addressing the media at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, said she was sorry and vowed to face the interrogation faithfully. The grim-faced Park then entered the prosecutors' office in Seoul.

Park has stayed in her private home since she left the presidential Blue House on March 12. At that time, Park smiled and waved at supporters, who demanded nullification of the impeachment.

Park was to be interrogated by state prosecutors for her alleged involvement in the scandal, for which she was removed from office after the impeachment was approved in Parliament on Dec 9. The Constitutional Court upheld the motion on March 10.

Park became the fourth former South Korean president to be questioned by prosecutors.

Former president Chun Doo-hwan was arrested in December 1995 after refusing to be investigated over a coup in December 1979 and his alleged order of a massacre at a civil uprising against the military junta in May 1980.

Former president Roh Tae-woo was jailed in November 1995 after being convicted of bribery, and former president Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide in May 2009 after being questioned by prosecutors about a bribery scandal.

About 2,000 police officers were deployed around the prosecutors' office, outside which pro-and anti-Park rallies were held.

Prosecutors were expected to focus on Park's alleged involvement in bribery, abuse of power and leakage of state secrets. She faces 13 charges.

Park, 65, has been accused of colluding with her friend Choi Soon-sil to receive tens of millions of dollars in bribes from Samsung Electronics Vice-Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

Park was also identified as an accomplice of Choi's in helping solicit tens of millions of dollars from scores of large business conglomerates to establish two nonprofit foundations that Choi used for personal gain. Choi has been charged with meddling in state affairs by receiving government documents.