(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors on Sunday said they believe President Park Geun-hye conspired in criminal activities of a secretive confidante who allegedly manipulated government affairs and exploited her presidential ties to amass an illicit fortune — a damning revelation that may convince opposition parties to push for her impeachment. “However, because of the president’s impunity from prosecution stated in Article 84 of the Constitution, we cannot indict the president. In a televised news conference, Lee said that based on the evidence, “the president was involved as a conspirator in a considerable part of the criminal activities by suspects Choi Soon-sil, Ahn Jong-beom and Jung Ho-sung.” He was referring to two presidential aides who also were formally charged Sunday for allegedly helping Choi. A special investigation team appointed by public prosecutors said that Ms Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil was indicted on charges of abuse of power, coercion, attempted coercion and attempted fraud, while two senior former aides An Chong-bum and Chung Ho-sung were also formally charged. Prosecutors also indicted a second former presidential aide, Jeong Ho-seong, with leaking classified information to Choi. Under the constitution, a sitting president cannot be indicted unless on charges of treason, but the conclusion by the prosecutors that Park was involved in the case prompted fresh calls from opposition parties for her to step down.
An interim report by South Korean prosecutors implicates President Park Geun-hye in a political scandal involving her close friend Choi Soon-sil. Three people have been indicted in relation to the scandal. President Park cannot be indicted due to a constitutional provision preventing a sitting President being indicted except for treason or insurrection.