April 25, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Without President Park Geun-hye in attendance, her lawyers denied all the charges listed in the impeachment motion, taking issue with the political neutrality of the ongoing investigation into her scandal and questioning the validity of evidence behind accusations against her during the Constitutional Court’s hearing on Jan.5. 

“Park has never let her aides meddle in state affairs and appointed government officials through legitimate procedures,” said Park’s lawyer Lee Joong-hwan during the second hearing. “She also took necessary measures to cope with the Sewol ferry accident. There is no evidence for her alleged bribery, abuse of authority and coercion based on objective facts.”

The court’s nine justices, headed by chief Park Han-chul, proceeded despite her absence, according to the Constitutional Court Act. She will likely remain absent for the hearings, her lawyers said.

“Despite no clear evidence about Park’s crimes, the passage of the impeachment motion against the president will be marked as a case that destroyed the checks-and-balances by excessively attacking the president whose term nears an end,” Lee went on.

The parliamentary impeachment committee, which serves as a prosecutor in the trial, said that the president seriously violated the Constitution and law in performing her presidential duty.

The charges center on allegations that President Park colluded with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to extort money and favors from local conglomerates, failed to save people’s lives at the time of the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014 and allowed Choi, who has no official government post, to manipulate power behind the scenes for her personal gains.

“Through the decision to impeach the president, we will reconfirm the principle that the people are an owner of this country and the president’s use of authority against the public trust,” Rep. Kwon Seong-dong, chairman of the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee.

“Ousting the president is aimed not only at recovering the national loss and vacuum in the running of state affairs but at restoring the constitutional order.“

The Constitutional Court explained the key points in the impeachment trial and confirmed the list of evidence and witnesses during the hearing. It also asked for cooperation from both sides not to distract its main focus while reminding them that the trial is not a criminal trial.

Park’s other lawyer Seo Suk-gu appeared to taint the meaning of the candlelight vigils that have taken place for the past two months against the scandal-ridden president that led to her impeachment.

“The sentiments shown during the candlelight vigils does not reflect the public sentiments, given it was led by a labor union group,” he said. He was stopped a few times by the justices while making such a statement.

Kwon immediately shot back, asking the court to stop him from talking about matters unrelated to clarifying the charges listed in the impeachment motion. “Who led the candlelight vigils has completely nothing to do with the impeachment trial.”

The National Assembly voted to oust Park on Dec. 9, stripping her of substantial executive powers, over a corruption scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. The top court has until early June to decide whether to uphold or overturn Park’s impeachment.

In the hearing, three of the four key witnesses -- Park’s closest secretaries Lee Jae-man and Ahn Bong-geun, and an administrative employee Lee Young-sun -- refused to appear at the court. Only Yoon Jeon-choo attended the session.

By Ock Hyun-ju/The Korea Herald (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)