Justices overseeing President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment trial Thursday expressed irritation at “too many unnecessary questions” during witness questioning, amid the widespread public notion Park is employing delay tactics to boost the chances of a verdict favorable to her. 

During the 12th hearing of the historic trial, justices interrupted both sides --representatives of the impeached Park and the parliament -- several times to take issue with repetitive and unclear questions. 

“He already answered the question. The purpose of your question is unclear. You should ask him what he knows and has experienced,” acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi instructed Park’s lawyers as they questioned Jo Seong-min, head of The Blue-K, a business interest of Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil.  

As Park’s lawyers continue to examine what he said during a prosecutorial questioning, Justice Kang Il-won quipped: “I don’t understand why you are going over investigation records here. You should ask questions related to the impeachment.” 

He even said to one of Park’s lawyers, “You are asking questions that disadvantage the president.”

The legal team for the parliament was also not free from such interruptions.

While the legal team for the parliament asked Jo about Choi’s intention to establish The Blue-K, Justice Kang said: “Don‘t ask for his opinions. The bench makes the judgement.”

Thursday’s hearing came after the court set a schedule for hearings extending through Feb. 22, allowing Park’s defense team to question eight more witnesses including those who have already been brought in. 

The decision, as it means a verdict could be made only in March at the earliest, poured cold water on the conservative president’s political foes who have been ratcheting up preparations for a new presidential election.  

Opposition parties see March 13 -- the end-date of acting Chief Justice Lee’s term -- as a critical deadline that may affect the outcome of the trial. 

The court already has one of its nine judge seats vacant, with former Chief Justice Park Han-chul’s retirement on Jan. 31. Should Lee step down, the court will have to decide with only seven justices whether or not to end the Park presidency. Park’s ouster requires consent from at least six of the sitting judges. 

Acting Chief Justice Lee, when she took over the top post following former Chief Justice Park, expressed her determination to hear the case in a “fair” and “strict” manner. But she made no mention of a “speedy” ruling, mindful of backlash from Park’s lawyers.   

The former chief justice, at his retirement ceremony, had called on the court to rule before Justice Lee steps down, saying a further absence of justices could lead to a “distorted outcome.” 

The president’s lawyers fiercely protested the remarks, saying setting such a deadline was not fair, and asked the court to appoint successors to the outgoing justices to ensure “fairness.” They even hinted at a possible boycott of the trial if their demands were not met. 

Prolonging the court proceedings appears to be a strategic calculation of President Park to buy time to rally her core supporters and maintain her criminal immunity as sitting president while an independent counsel is investigating her scandal. 

During Thursday’s hearing, The Blue-K head Jo pointed to Choi Soon-sil, Park’s longtime friend at the center of the scandal, as the de facto owner of his company. 

The Blue-K was allegedly set up and controlled by Choi, who is on trial for coercing donations from local firms to the Mir and K-Sports foundations with the intention to siphon off money for her personal benefit. President Park is suspected to have been an accomplice in the scheme. 

“My employer in the employment contract was Choi. The person who made decisions on the budget execution was Choi,” he said. “I thought there must be someone behind this after the presidential secretary and culture vice minister took interest in our project. So I reasonably assumed that Park and Choi were connected.”   

Choi has previously denied her ownership of The Blue-K and the notion that the Mir and K-Sports foundations were under her control.  

Another witness, Park Hun-young, a working-level official at the K-Sports Foundation, testified to Choi’s meddling in state affairs. 

“Choi showed me the itinerary of President Park Geun-hye’s overseas trips, which is a national secret,” he said. “She also showed me the Culture Ministry’s budget for 2016 and explained to me in detail how much the K-Sports Foundation can use from that.”

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)