SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quotes prosecutors as saying they will likely question the president over scandal.</s>(CNN) Seoul prosecutors are set to question South Korean President Park Geun-hye early this week for her role in the political corruption scandal involving an informal adviser.

It follows a second weekend of mass protests that saw hundreds of thousands of demonstrators cram city streets demanding her resignation.

Park has admitted sharing classified documents with close friend and informal adviser Choi Soon-sil.

Choi is accused of using her relationship with Park to acquire millions of dollars in donations for her foundations. She's been arrested on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, this will be the first time in the country's history that a president has been questioned by prosecutors.

The prosecutor's office is still waiting for a response from the presidential palace and the location of the questioning has not been decided.

When Choi's father died, she succeeded him as leader of the Eternal Life Church. For years, she's been giving Park spiritual guidance.

President Park has already apologized twice for the lapse, but that has done little to assuage thousands of South Koreans who have attended rallies over the past weeks to demand her resignation. Some protesters assert that the marches will continue until Park resigns.

On Saturday -- in one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades -- protesters gathered around the presidential compound in the South Korean capital of Seoul to vent their anger at President Park.

In a press briefly Sunday, Park's spokesman said the President had "heard the voices of the people yesterday with gravity and deeply realizes the seriousness of the current situation."

He added that Park was considering ways to "normalize the state of affairs and fulfill her responsibility as President."

Earlier in November, Park asserted in a televised address to the nation that she was ready to co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation.

"I have already instructed Blue House secretary's office and security office to fully co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation," said Park.

Multiple aides to President Park have also resigned in the wake of the scandal, including four senior secretaries responsible for political affairs and policy coordination.

And on November 2, President Park sacked the country's prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, replacing him with Kim Byong-joon, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University.</s>SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors will question President Park Geun-hye over a political corruption scandal engulfing her presidency, an official said on Sunday, the first time a sitting president will be questioned by prosecutors over a criminal case.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye speaks during an address to the nation, at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Ed Jones/Pool

Hundreds of thousands marched in the capital Seoul on Saturday demanding Park resign. Many protesters said Park, whose public support has dropped to the lowest point ever for a democratically elected South Korean leader at 5 percent, was unfit to rule.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Park exerted improper pressure on “chaebol” conglomerate bosses to raise funds for two foundations at the center of an influence-peddling scandal involving a friend of hers, Yonhap reported on Sunday, citing prosecution sources.

They are also probing Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, who is alleged to have used her ties to the president to meddle in state affairs and wield influence in the cultural and sports communities, a prosecutor has previously said.

Prosecutors have already questioned the de facto head of Samsung Group SAGR.UL Jay Y. Lee and the chairmen of Hyundai Motor Group (005380.KS) and Hanjin Group HANJ.UL over the scandal, media reports said on Sunday.

“It’s correct we’re planning to question the president but the date is undecided,” an official at the prosecutors’ office told Reuters.

Yonhap news agency quoted a prosecution official as saying Park’s questioning should be done no later than Wednesday.

“Questioning people face-to-face is our principle,” the official said. Park will appear before prosecutors as a witness, Yonhap reported.

Park’s office said it would be Tuesday at the earliest before it will have a position on the prosecutors’ plan and was considering retaining a lawyer for the president.

While some previous South Korean presidents have been mired in scandals or allegations of wrongdoing involving family members during their terms, none were directly questioned by prosecutors while they were in office.

The prosecution office official confirmed the chairman of Hyundai Motor, Chung Mong-koo, was questioned on Saturday but declined to confirm whether the other chaebol bosses had met prosecutors.

A Korean Air Lines (003490.KS) spokesman confirmed that Cho Yang-ho, who is chairman of Hanjin and South Korea’s largest airline, had appeared for questioning but did not elaborate further.

A Hyundai Motor spokesman declined to comment and Samsung Group could not immediately confirm the reports of prosecutors questioning their respective officials.

Park faces intense pressure from the public and parliament to step down over the scandal, but the main opposition parties have not raised the possibility of initiating impeachment proceedings.

The presidential office said earlier on Sunday that Park was “earnestly considering ways to normalize state affairs” and that she had “heard the voices of the people at the rally”.

Slideshow (6 Images)

Park has said she had discussed with conglomerate heads in July last year her desire for them to contribute more for culture without elaborating.

South Korean prosecutors raided Samsung Electronics last week as part of the probe over the scandal and whether the company separately gave millions of euros to a company controlled by Choi and her daughter.

(This story was refiled with full name of Hanjin chairman in paragraph 12)</s>(CNN) Seoul prosecutors are set to question South Korean President Park Geun-hye early this week for her role in the political corruption scandal involving an informal adviser.

It follows a second weekend of mass protests that saw hundreds of thousands of demonstrators cram city streets demanding her resignation.

Park has admitted sharing classified documents with close friend and informal adviser Choi Soon-sil.

Choi is accused of using her relationship with Park to acquire millions of dollars in donations for her foundations. She's been arrested on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, this will be the first time in the country's history that a president has been questioned by prosecutors.

The prosecutor's office is still waiting for a response from the presidential palace and the location of the questioning has not been decided.

When Choi's father died, she succeeded him as leader of the Eternal Life Church. For years, she's been giving Park spiritual guidance.

President Park has already apologized twice for the lapse, but that has done little to assuage thousands of South Koreans who have attended rallies over the past weeks to demand her resignation. Some protesters assert that the marches will continue until Park resigns.

On Saturday -- in one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades -- protesters gathered around the presidential compound in the South Korean capital of Seoul to vent their anger at President Park.

In a press briefly Sunday, Park's spokesman said the President had "heard the voices of the people yesterday with gravity and deeply realizes the seriousness of the current situation."

He added that Park was considering ways to "normalize the state of affairs and fulfill her responsibility as President."

Earlier in November, Park asserted in a televised address to the nation that she was ready to co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation.

"I have already instructed Blue House secretary's office and security office to fully co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation," said Park.

Multiple aides to President Park have also resigned in the wake of the scandal, including four senior secretaries responsible for political affairs and policy coordination.

And on November 2, President Park sacked the country's prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, replacing him with Kim Byong-joon, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University.</s>South Korean prosecutors are seeking to question President Park Geun-hye this week over a political scandal that has engulfed her presidency, the Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Park exerted improper pressure on “chaebol” conglomerate bosses to raise funds for two foundations at the center of an influence-peddling scandal involving a longtime friend of hers.

Prosecutors have already questioned the chairmen of Hyundai Motor and Korean Air Lines and plan to question the de factor head of Samsung Group and other conglomerate chiefs over the political scandal, media reports said Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands marched in the capital Seoul on Saturday demanding her resignation. Many of them said Park was unfit to rule.

Cho Yang-ho, chairman of Korean Air Lines, South Korea’s flag carrier and largest airline, appeared for questioning in front of prosecutors Sunday, Yonhap reported.

Officials at the prosecutors office could not immediately be reached for confirmation or comment.

A Hyundai Motor spokesman declined to comment and Samsung Group could not immediately confirm the report. Korean Air Lines could not be reached for comment.

Park, whose public support rating has dropped to the lowest point ever for a democratically elected South Korean leader at 5 percent, is facing growing calls for her to step down.

Park faces allegations she allowed her friend Choi Soon-sil to use her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs and wield influence in the sports and cultural communities.

Prosecutors are investigating people close to Park over whether they had pressured dozens of the country’s biggest conglomerates to contribute to two foundations set up to support the cultural and sports communities.

Park has said she had discussed with conglomerate heads in July last year her desire for them to contribute more for culture without elaborating.

South Korean prosecutors raided Samsung Electronics last week as part of the probe over the scandal and whether the company separately gave millions of euros to a company controlled by Choi and her daughter.</s>(CNN) Seoul prosecutors are set to question South Korean President Park Geun-hye early this week for her role in the political corruption scandal involving an informal adviser.

It follows a second weekend of mass protests that saw hundreds of thousands of demonstrators cram city streets demanding her resignation.

Park has admitted sharing classified documents with close friend and informal adviser Choi Soon-sil.

Choi is accused of using her relationship with Park to acquire millions of dollars in donations for her foundations. She's been arrested on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, this will be the first time in the country's history that a president has been questioned by prosecutors.

The prosecutor's office is still waiting for a response from the presidential palace and the location of the questioning has not been decided.

When Choi's father died, she succeeded him as leader of the Eternal Life Church. For years, she's been giving Park spiritual guidance.

President Park has already apologized twice for the lapse, but that has done little to assuage thousands of South Koreans who have attended rallies over the past weeks to demand her resignation. Some protesters assert that the marches will continue until Park resigns.

On Saturday -- in one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades -- protesters gathered around the presidential compound in the South Korean capital of Seoul to vent their anger at President Park.

In a press briefly Sunday, Park's spokesman said the President had "heard the voices of the people yesterday with gravity and deeply realizes the seriousness of the current situation."

He added that Park was considering ways to "normalize the state of affairs and fulfill her responsibility as President."

Earlier in November, Park asserted in a televised address to the nation that she was ready to co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation.

"I have already instructed Blue House secretary's office and security office to fully co-operate with the prosecutor's investigation," said Park.

Multiple aides to President Park have also resigned in the wake of the scandal, including four senior secretaries responsible for political affairs and policy coordination.

And on November 2, President Park sacked the country's prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, replacing him with Kim Byong-joon, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University.</s>SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors on Monday questioned two former key presidential aides over allegations they helped a shadowy confidant of President Park Geun-Hye meddle in state affairs and secretly visit her office.

Park has been engulfed by a scandal that centers on Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her personal ties with the president to coerce local firms to donate millions of dollars to non-profit foundations Choi then used for personal gain.

Choi, 60, is also accused of interfering in state affairs to the extent of nominating officials and editing Park’s speeches even though she has no official title or security clearance.

Ahn Bong-Geun and Lee Jae-Man, who served as Park’s key advisors until last month, are accused of helping Choi to visit the presidential office.

They also allegedly reported state affairs or leaked confidential documents to her.

TV news footage showed the pair separately entering the Seoul prosecutors’ office on Monday morning as they were mobbed by reporters.

The two, who served as Park’s aides for decades, were described by local media as “doorknobs” to the president who wielded enormous power over policymaking.

Two other presidential aides have been arrested in the snowballing influence-peddling scandal.

Choi, whose father was an elusive religious figure and a longtime mentor to Park until his death in 1994, was arrested earlier this month for abuse of power and fraud.

The scandal has sparked nationwide fury with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to call for Park’s resignation and mocking the president as Choi’s “puppet”.

A mass rally held in Seoul on Saturday drew one million people, according to organisers, making it the largest public protest in the South for nearly three decades.

Park also faces allegations that she helped Choi extract money from local companies including Samsung and Hyundai. Prosecutors are seeking to formally question her this week.

If she agrees, Park will become the first South Korean president to be probed while in office.

Under South Korea’s constitution, the incumbent president may not be charged with a criminal offence except insurrection or treason.

But many argue the sitting president can be investigated by prosecutors and then charged after leaving office. AFP</s>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors are likely to question President Park Geun-hye this week over suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante manipulate power from behind the scenes, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

If would be the first time that a sitting president has been questioned by prosecutors. The explosive scandal is the most serious challenge for Park, whose public apologies have done little to calm public anger.

Yonhap’s Korean-language service quoted an unidentified prosecution official as saying prosecutors want to question Park face-to-face on either Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. The report said that prosecutors conveyed their position to Park’s office and were awaiting a response.

The president’s office had no immediate comment on the report.

In addition to allegedly manipulating power, the president’s confidante, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park’s mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

Choi was formally arrested on Nov. 3 on charges of fraud and abuse of power. Prosecutors have until Nov. 20 to formally charge her.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people flooded Seoul’s streets to demand Park’s resignation in what may be South Korea’s largest protest since it shook off dictatorship three decades ago.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, Park said Tuesday that she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No. 2.

Under South Korean law, the president has immunity from prosecution except in cases of treason, but she can be investigated.

Park has 15 months left in her term. If she steps down before the end of it, an election must be held within 60 days.</s>SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korean prosecutors are likely to question President Park Geun-hye over suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante manipulate power from behind the scenes, state-run Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

If would be the first time that a sitting president has been questioned by prosecutors. The explosive scandal is the most serious challenge for Park, whose public apologies have done little to calm public anger.

Yonhap quoted a Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official as saying that the questioning is most likely to take place later this week. The official was not named.

Yonhap Korean-language service quoted an unidentified prosecution official as saying prosecutors want to question Park face-to-face on either Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. The report said that prosecutors conveyed their position to Park's office and were awaiting a response.

In addition to allegedly manipulating power, the president's confidante, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park's mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

Choi was formally arrested on Nov. 3 on charges of fraud and abuse of power. Prosecutors have until Nov. 20 to formally charge her.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters flooded Seoul's streets to demand Park's resignation in what may be South Korea's largest protest since it shook off dictatorship three decades ago.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, Park said Tuesday that she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No. 2.

Under South Korean law, the president has immunity from prosecution except in cases of treason, but she can be investigated.

Park has 15 months left in her term. If she steps down before the end of it, an election must be held within 60 days.</s>Nov 13 South Korean prosecutors have questioned the heads of some large conglomerates, including the chairman of Hyundai Motor, and plan to question the de factor head of Samsung Group in a probe over a political scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, media reports said on Sunday.

The prosecutors are investigating whether Park exerted improper pressure on "chaebol" conglomerate bosses to raise funds for two foundations at the centre of an influence-peddling scandal involving a friend of hers, Yonhap said.

Officials at the prosecutors office could not immediately be reached for confirmation or comment. Hyundai Motor and Samsung Group could not immediately confirm the report. (Reporting by Jack Kim, Ju-min Park and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Dan Grebler)
A South Korean official says prosecutors will question President Park Geun-hye, no later than Wednesday, about the political corruption scandal. This will be the first time a sitting president is questioned by prosecutors in a criminal case.