Former prime minister arrested
Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook gets into a prosecutor’s car yesterday after she was formally arrested as a suspect in a bribery case. Following the arrest, prosecutors began questioning her in the afternoon. [Joint Press Corps]
The 65-year-old politician who served as a prime minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration has denied the allegation that she received the money from Kwak Young-wook, a former CEO of Korea Express, during her time in office in 2007.
The arrest was made at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation building in western Seoul, shortly after noon.
Prosecutors began questioning Han after she arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
Han, currently a senior adviser to the Democratic Party, served as prime minister from April 2006 to March 2007.
A symbol of integrity in the Roh government, Han became the first former prime minister to be arrested.
She arrived at the prosecutors’ office around 1 p.m. and was received by Kim Ju-hyun, a senior prosecutor. “I will treat the former prime minister with courtesy,” Kim told her.
Han reportedly replied: “I don’t want special treatment. I came here as an ordinary citizen.”
The questioning began around 1:30 p.m. in the video interrogation room on the 11th floor of the prosecution’s building.
Kwon Ho-seong, head prosecutor of team two of the special investigation unit, and another prosecutor in charge of the case, questioned her about allegedly receiving the money and how she spent it.
Sources at the prosecution said the questioning would not go on overnight. An indictment without physical detention will likely be filed next week, they said.
While Han did not resist prosecutors’ efforts to arrest her, she is expected to exercise her right to remain silent during questioning. She has said she will not cooperate with what she called a “political” probe and she will rather prove her innocence during the trial.
Around noon, one prosecutor and four investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office arrived at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation building and presented a warrant issued by the Seoul Central District Court earlier this week. About 30 supporters of Han tried to stop the prosecutors in the hallway, shouting slogans that the probe against Han is politically motivated.
Inside the office, the former prime minister held a media conference.
“The prosecution has a political purpose and has manipulated evidence under the presumption of indicting me,” Han said, again telling the public that she is innocent.
She said she will fight because turning a blind eye to a political probe will create more victims.
As she left the building to be arrested, a Buddhist monk wielded a box cutter at prosecutors, but was quickly suppressed by the crowd.
Han got into a car provided by the prosecution while her supporters chanted slogans against the interrogation.
“Thank you,” Han told her backers before she got into the car, which pulled away around 12:44 p.m.
Prosecutors previously sent three subpoenas to Han to appear for questioning, but she ignored them all.
By Ser Myo-ja [myoja@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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