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South Korean President's team says impeachment procedures lack legal grounds

MOSCOW, Dec. 18 (PNA/Sputnik) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye's representatives claimed impeachment procedures against her were illegal and lacked sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

On Dec. 9, the South Korean parliament voted in favor of starting the process of impeachment against the embattled leader over the "shadow adviser" scandal involving Park's associate Choi Soon-sil. The decision is now with the country's Constitutional Court. The court's first session was held on Dec. 12.

"Choi did not exert influence on state affairs, and we ask those making the accusations to come up with concrete proof… Even if there is evidence of offenses, none are so serious to justify an impeachment," the president's representatives said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency on Sunday.

The representatives claimed the impeachment violated the principle of the presumption of innocence and called on the Constitutional Court to reject the case.

The political scandal around the president broke out in late October when media reported that Park allowed Choi Soon-sil, her longtime friend and "shadow adviser," who held no official post, to edit her speeches thus letting her influence the country's policy. Moreover, Choi was suspected of pressuring South Korean corporations and extorting money from them for her non-commercial funds.

Park has rejected the claims and said that she was unaware of any wrongdoings by her associate. (PNA/Sputnik)