S. Korea court says Park won't testify in impeachment trial
South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday said it cannot require President Park Geun-hye to testify in her impeachment trial that enters the argument phase next week, dismissing demands by lawmakers who voted to remove her over a corruption scandal.
The nine-justice court also confirmed the dates when some witnesses will testify but delayed a decision on whether to make companies answer whether they were really forced into sponsoring foundations controlled by the president's jailed friend, Choi Soon-sil. Lawmakers, who are the prosecutors in an impeachment trial, argued it could pressure companies.
Park's lawyers, however, said the court needed to verify facts independent of the findings by state prosecutors, who accused Park of allowing Choi to interfere with government affairs and of colluding with Choi to extort money and favors from the country's largest companies.
