[Park Geun-hye to Be Summoned on March 21] "Bribery" at the Center of 14 Allegations. Can Prosecutors Prove Park Was Choi Soon-sil's Accomplice?

The prosecutors will summon former President Park Geun-hye on March 21 as a suspect charged with fourteen irregularities summarized into five criminal activities. Choi Soon-sil (61, arrested) is directly and indirectly connected to all the charges including bribery, misconduct, and the leaking of official secrets. For Park to avoid being charged with a crime, for which thirty accomplices have already been indicted, she has to argue that Choi pursued her personal interests alone. Eyes are on whether Park will end her 40-year friendship with Choi during the suspect interrogation.

What Is the Key Evidence? Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam heads to work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul on March 20, one day before the prosecutors' questioning of former President Park Geun-hye. Yi Jun-heon

■ The Biggest Issue Will Be Bribery

The climax of the prosecutors' investigation will be their questions on whether former President Park received bribes exceeding 29 billion won (43.3 billion won when including the amount promised). At the center lies the fact that she received the large amount of money for the equestrian training of Chung Yoo-ra (21), Choi Soon-sil's daughter, in Germany in exchange for having the government aid Lee Jae-yong (49, arrested), vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, succeed the management of the group. The former president argued that she had never engaged in personal exchanges with Chung and that she never ordered her aides to support the succession of management at Samsung by voting in favor of the merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries.

The prosecutors believe that the former president established the MI-R Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation and raised 77.6 billion won in funds from large companies like SK and Lotte upon the suggestion from Choi. Park is expected to argue that she simply suggested that the large companies join in establishing a foundation seeking public interests for the purpose of promoting culture and sports.

The former president had said that she was not aware of the blacklist in the culture and the arts circle, which the government used to suspend financial support for individuals and organizations that criticized the government. As for the various Cheong Wa Dae documents that had been delivered to Choi, Park claims she only received advice from Choi on her speeches and that she never ordered the delivery of confidential documents.

■ Will the Former President's Close Relationship with Choi Soon-sil Be Revealed?

It is uncertain as to whether former President Park will be able to effectively deny her "special" relationship with Choi during the prosecutors' interrogation.

In a prosecutors' investigation at the end of last year, Park's private secretary Jeong Ho-seong (48, arrested) had said, "The president showed unlimited trust in Choi and that relationship had continued until the present since she first entered politics in 1998."

He also said, "After the death of former President Park Chung-hee, many people turned their backs on Park and betrayed her. Choi remained unchanged and stood by her side."

As if to prove Jeong's statement, Choi has continued to protect the former president during the police and prosecutors' investigation, which has lasted 141 days, and during her trial in court after she was arrested on October 31, 2016. This was in contrast to how former Cheong Wa Dae Senior Secretary for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom (58, arrested) and former Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Chong (56, arrested) had crumbled during the prosecutors' investigation prior to the special prosecutor’s investigation. In particular, she refused to answer to the special prosecutor's investigation in connection to Samsung's bribery charges on six occasions, and when the special prosecutor fought back by executing an arrest warrant, she exercised her right to remain silent in the interrogation room. In court, she said, "I refuse to testify" on bribery charges, with which the former President Park was also charged as an accomplice.

Earlier, former President Park drew the line saying, "I never gave her any favors," on allegations that she helped KD Corporation, a company owned by Choi's acquaintance, sign a contract with Hyundai Motor Company, and that she engaged in solicitation to have KT sign an advertising contract with Playground, a company owned by Choi under another name.

She also said that she was not aware of the contracts between Choi's company Playground and the MI-R Foundation and between The Blue K and the K-Sports Foundation. However, the Constitutional Court decided to dismiss the former president after acknowledging the fact that the former President actively assisted Choi in pursuing her personal interests.

The prosecutors also plan to tear down former President Park's defense by presenting physical evidence, which they have collected so far, revealing her close relationship with Choi Soon-sil.

Whether or not the former president will talk about her life in the Cheong Wa Dae residence will also be a key topic. A heated debate continues on whether that should remain private or be opened to the public. Park said that she worked at her residence in Cheong Wa Dae reviewing a number of reports without any official appointments on the day of the Sewol accident. She claimed she received reports via e-mail and fax, while some were delivered to her in person, and she said she handled her affairs by giving instructions over the phone. Previously in a prosecutors' investigation, her private secretary Jeong Ho-seong had said, "When the president calls, lawmakers or senior secretaries visit her at her residence." He also added, "I will not say anything to the prosecutors or the special prosecutor about her residence."

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