SOUTH KOREAN prosecutors summoned ousted leader Park Geun-hye yesterday for questioning next week about a corruption scandal that led to her dismissal as president, the prosecutors’ office said.

    Park, South Korea’s first democratically elected president to be removed from office, had been summoned to appear for questioning at 9.30 a.m. Tuesday, the prosecutors’ office said in a text message to media.

    The Constitutional Court dismissed Park from office Friday when it upheld a parliamentary impeachment vote over an influence-peddling scandal that has shaken South Korea’s political and business elite. Park has denied any wrongdoing.

    Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has been acting president since December, when parliament voted to impeach Park, and a snap presidential election will be held by May 9.

    The political turmoil comes at a time of rising tension with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, and with China over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea that China sees as a threat to its security.

    One of Park’s lawyers confirmed that prosecutors had notified them of the date they wanted to question her, and that she would meet them.

    “We’ve been notified of the date and will cooperate with the investigation,” the lawyer, Hwang Seong-wook, told reporters.

    Prosecutors have not said how long they think their investigation would last.

    Park left the Blue House presidential compound in Seoul on Sunday to return to her private home in the capital as an ordinary citizen, stripped of her presidential immunity that had shielded her from prosecution.

    Park said through a spokesman Sunday she felt sorry about not being able to complete her term but, striking a defiant tone about the prospect of facing an investigation, also said the truth would come out.

    She has not made any public comment since then.

    A special prosecution team had accused Park of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses into contributing to foundations set up to support her policies and allowing Choi to influence state affairs.

    Choi also denied wrongdoing.

    Jay Y. Lee, the head of Samsung Group, South Korea’s biggest conglomerate, is on trial on bribery, embezzlement and other charges in connection with the scandal.

    Lee, who is being held in jail, denies all the charges against him. Samsung also denies any wrongdoing.

    The scandal has undermined support for the ruling conservatives. (SD-Agencies)