Ousted South Korean President Park apologises, promises cooperation in graft probe

Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologised to the country on Tuesday (Mar. 21^st) as she arrived at prosecutors' offices for questioning as a criminal suspect in a widening corruption investigation.

"I am sorry to the people. I will faithfully cooperate with questioning," Ms. Park said in front of media at the steps of the prosecutors' office building, her first comments directly to the public since she was dismissed on March 10^th.

South Korea's ousted leader Park Geun-hye leaves from her private home as she heads to the prosecutors' office to be questioned over a widening corruption scandal in Seoul, South Korea, March 21^st, 2017. (Photo: Lee Sang-Hak/Yonhap via REUTERS)

Ms. Park, 65, became South Korea's first democratically elected president to be removed from office when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment by parliament in December.

She has been accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations that backed her policy initiatives.

Ms. Park has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged in the case. Choi has also denied wrongdoing.

However, she lost her presidential immunity when she was dismissed and could face more than 10 years in jail if convicted of receiving bribes from bosses of big conglomerates.

Hundreds of Ms. Park's flag-waving supporters gathered outside her home in Seoul's upmarket Gangnam district to see her off.

Television cameras followed her as she was driven to the prosecutors' office in a black sedan, a few minutes away from her home, escorted by police who cleared the road.

Earlier, media saw Ms. Park's hairdresser arriving at her home.

Ms. Park Geun-hye arrives at a prosecutor's office in Seoul, South Korea, March 21^st, 2017. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

She was dressed in a dark navy coat and trouser suit with grey shoes, and looked serious as she stood on the lower steps of the prosecutors' offices to deliver her brief remarks.

Ms. Park, who was accompanied by two of her lawyers, was given tea in a 10^th-floor break room before going in for her first session of questioning by two prosecutors and one investigation official, prosecutors said in a statement.

Ms. Park declined to have her questioning recorded by video camera, prosecutors said.

The scandal has undermined support for Ms. Park's conservative ruling party. A prominent liberal opposition politician, Moon Jae-in, is leading in opinion polls and is expected to win a snap presidential election on May 9^th./.

VNF/Reuters