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| Former President Park Geun-hye |
Former President Park Geun-hye will defend herself in a court hearing today in a desperate move to avoid arrest.
During the session scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court, Park will explain why she should not be detained to Judge Kang Bu-young, who will review the validity of the arrest warrant requested by the prosecution.
Park, who has been expelled from office through impeachment, faces 13 charges, including bribery and abuse of authority during her four years as the nation's leader.
The court is likely to decide whether to issue the warrant between late tonight and early Friday morning.
The former president's decision to attend the hearing came as a surprise to many because of her past record of stonewalling. She repeatedly rejected requests from the prosecution and the Constitutional Court to cooperate with their investigations into the corruption scandal involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil _ until she had no other choice.
The decision shows how desperate she is, observers noted.
"It must have been a difficult decision for her," a source close to Park was quoted as saying.
She also appears to be working to galvanize her supporters. It has been widely reported that one of her aides called Kim Ju-bok, the head of her online fan club Geun-hye Dongsan, to urge him to "continue to work hard," Monday, the day the prosecution requested the warrant.
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Pro-Park lawmakers from the right-wing Liberty Korea Party also told reporters Tuesday that 77 lawmakers signed a petition against the warrant.
It is unclear how much such efforts will affect the court decision.
In announcing the move to seek an arrest warrant for Park, the prosecution said the risk of her destroying evidence was obvious because she has denied all of the charges against her despite "plenty of evidence." It also said she "actively" tried to destroy evidence by ordering former presidential secretaries to hide the truth from investigators.
Prosecutors believe she still can, and will likely, continue to do this through powerful people she appointed to many organizations during her term.
Few experts think the court will reject the warrant request, given the evidence secured by the prosecution, including former presidential secretary An Chong-bum's notebook and audio files of her phone conversations with ex-presidential secretary Jeong Ho-seong.
The prosecution has been deciding who to send to the hearing. The two senior prosecutors who questioned Park _ Han Woong-jae and Lee Won-seok _ are among the candidates.
From Park's side, two lawyers _ Yoo Young-ha and Jung Jang-hyun _ will play a pivotal role in defending her in a crucial showdown. Yoo visited her home in southern Seoul at 1:10 p.m. to prepare her for the big day.
After the hearing, Park is expected to wait for the court decision at a holding cell in the prosecutors' office or the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, where Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, is being held.
If granted, it may be the beginning of a long time behind bars for Park. If found guilty on the bribery charge, she could face a life sentence; however, many believe it would be the minimum of 10 years.
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