Prosecutors seek Park's arrest, fearing destruction of evidence

SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors sought on Monday to arrest former president Park Geun-hye to prevent any destruction of evidence in a corruption scandal that led to her impeachment.

Park has denied most of the criminal charges lodged against her, according to a statement from the special investigation headquarters of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is leading the probe into the corruption scandal embroiling Park.

The Constitutional Court decided on March 10 to remove Park from office, making her the first South Korean president ousted by impeachment.

Prosecutors summoned Park on March 21 for questioning.

The arrest warrant for Park was delivered earlier in the day to a Seoul court, which will decide whether to issue the warrant later this week.

If issued, Park would become the third South Korean president taken into custody after leaving office.

Prosecutors also considered the issue of fairness in seeking Park's arrest, since many of those involved in the scandal have already been arrested.

Longtime Park confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the scandal, has been detained, and prosecutors have alleged that Choi and Park were criminal accomplices.

Thirteen charges were filed against Park, including bribery, abuse of power and leaking of state secrets.

Many former government officials and presidential secretaries have been taken into custody, while Samsung Electronics Vice-Chairman Lee Jae-yong faces charges of bribery.

Lee, an heir apparent of Samsung Group, is charged with offering tens of millions of dollars in bribes to Choi in return for getting assistance to inherit overall management control of the country's biggest family-controlled conglomerate from his ailing father, Lee Kun-hee.

The younger Lee has effectively taken the helm of Samsung since his father was hospitalized after a heart attack three years ago.

Park is accused of colluding with Choi to solicit tens of millions of dollars from business conglomerates to set up two nonprofit foundations that Choi is accused of using for personal gains.