This Article is From Jan 01, 2017

Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye Rejects Accusations Against Her

Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye Rejects Accusations Against Her

Park Geu-hye vehemently rejected charges of conspiring with a long-time friend to extort money

Seoul: Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye vehemently rejected accusations Sunday that she conspired with a longtime friend to extort money and favors from companies, accusing her opponents of framing her.

In a meeting with a selected group of reporters, Park denied that she gave her jailed friend, Choi Soon-sil, extraordinary sway over government decisions and also refuted allegations that her administration blacklisted thousands of artists for their political beliefs, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

It was the first time Park spoke to the media since South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament voted on December 9 to impeach her over the scandal, which has seen millions of people protest in recent weeks.

In her meeting with reporters, Park denied the accusations, saying she was "totally framed," according to Yonhap.

"The matter is under investigation, so I can't make detailed explanations that might put both sides in trouble, but what I can assure you is that I have never conspired with anyone or did anything to give favors to someone, not even by a bit," Yonhap quoted Park as saying.

The Constitutional Court has up to six months to decide whether Park should be permanently removed from office or be reinstated. On Friday, the court said Park cannot be forced to testify at her impeachment trial, which is about to enter its argument phase.

Park's downfall came after state prosecutors in November accused her of colluding with her friend to bully companies into giving tens of millions of dollars to foundations controlled by Choi and also allowing Choi to interfere with government decisions from the shadows.

They have now handed over the investigation to a special prosecution team that has been focusing on proving bribery suspicions between Park and the Samsung Group, which is suspected of sponsoring Choi in exchange for government favors.

A former health ministry official was arrested on Saturday over suspicions that he forced the National Pension Service to support a merger between two Samsung affiliates last year.

The deal shaved the fund's stake in one of the companies by an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars, but allowed Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong to promote a father-to-son succession of leadership and increase the group's corporate wealth.

Investigators are trying to confirm whether Park instructed government officials to help the merger go through and then had them press Samsung to provide Choi money and favors.
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