Lawmakers investigating South Korean president barred from presidential office

Protesters carry an effigy of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye as they march toward the presidential house during a rally in Seoul Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean lawmakers investigating a corruption scandal surrounding impeached President Park Geun-hye attempted to inspect records at the presidential Blue House on Friday but were denied entry.

The lawmakers had planned to look into allegations that Blue House security officials allowed Park's longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and her key associates to easily move in and out of the presidential offices and residence. Prosecutors have said that Park colluded with Choi to extort money and favors from some of the country's largest companies and allowed her to manipulate state affairs from the shadows.

"Because of the strong opposition of the presidential security office, the on-site inspection of the security office has been effectively blocked," said Kim Sung-tae, a lawmaker from Park's Saenuri Party. "The Blue House maintained a stance that it will not allow any entry inside its offices."

He criticized Park's office for denying the "will of the people," and said the presidential security officials didn't provide a clear answer on whether they would agree to lawmakers' demands for the records.

South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament voted last week to impeach Park over the scandal, in which millions of people took to the streets in protest.

The impeachment suspended Park's powers until the Constitutional Court rules whether to formally remove her from office or reinstate her. A lawyer for Park, Lee Joong-hwan, said Friday the court should restore Park's powers because there is insufficient evidence to justify her unseating.

Lee said the lawmakers' "porous" arguments wouldn't hold up in court. He didn't specify which arguments, but said Park's lawyers would only accept an "extremely small part" of what is in the impeachment motion.

Lee and two other members of Park's legal team talked to reporters after they submitted a statement to the court explaining why the case should be decided in the president's favor.

The impeachment review can take up to six months. The court is expected to order Park's lawyers to submit in writing their plans to prove the claims in the statement filed Friday and a list of evidence they plan to use before setting up hearing dates.

Lee said Park's lawyers also submitted a complaint over the court's request to prosecutors to provide their investigation records for the review. Lee said that retrieving such records would violate an article in the constitution that prohibits the court from requesting records of cases that are part of a criminal investigation, prosecution and trial.