Proceedings Hit Snag

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Prosecutors have responded to former President Park Geun-hye's statement and the resignation of all of her attorneys, calling it highly regrettable. It’s unlikely the court will issue a verdict for Park this year, as the disgraced former president has virtually announced a boycott of the trial. Observers say that Park's strategy could play against her in the long run.

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Prosecutors say that Park Geun-hye's recent statement is highly regrettable. They emphasized that the additional arrest warrant for her was issued in line with due procedure. The new arrest warrant was executed on Monday, the day when Park's detention was initially scheduled to end. However, her trial will inevitably hit a snag. The judges plan to appoint an attorney unless Park does that on her own by October 19. Cases tried under arrest as well as cases in which the defendant is sentenced to more than three years in prison cannot be tried without attorneys. Following the resignation of Park's attorneys, the interrogation of former presidential economic adviser Cho Won-dong was postponed immediately, and it's still unclear if the interrogation of Park's former senior aide Ahn Chong-bum will take place. Even if a new attorney is appointed, it will take a long time to review more than 100,000 pages of Park's case. The judicial circles say that the ousted president's attempt to turn the tide by having all of her attorneys resign could only play to her disadvantage. The ruling Democratic Party said that Park's stance is extremely disappointing because she has yet to apologize to the public. The Liberty Korea Party asserts that Park's statement is in line with concerns over the growing influence of politics on the judicial power. The Bareun Party dismissed the political circles' remarks as inappropriate, while the People's Party said that Park is in no position to speak about political retaliation and urged her to reflect on her mistakes.