President Park Geun-hye embarks on a four-nation tour of South America this week amid a snowballing bribery scandal involving some of her key aides.
Park is set to leave for Colombia on Thursday for talks with her Colombian counterpart on strengthening the countries’ strategic partnership, Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs, told reporters.
Ju said there is no reason to delay Park’s visit.
She has been under fire for the timing of the departure, as Thursday is the first anniversary of a deadly ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people, mostly teenage students on a field trip.
Park is considering attending an event to mourn the victims of the ferry disaster before embarking on the tour of South America.
The trip will also take Park to Peru, Chile and Brazil before returning home on April 27.
Officials said leaders of 125 local companies — the largest business delegation — are set to accompany Park.
The planned visit comes amid public outrage over a so-called “bribery list” left behind by Sung Wan-jong, the former chairman of a troubled mid-size construction company who committed suicide last week.
Eight heavyweight politicians are on the list, including the prime minister and Park’s two former chiefs of staff — Huh Tae-yeol and Kim Ki-choon — as well as her current chief of staff, Lee Byung-kee. (Yonhap)
