"Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night," said South Korea's President Park Geun-hye. "I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame." And so she should, but it's also hard not to feel some sympathy for her plight. This isn't your usual political corruption case. She never benefited from her actions in any way.
Despite Park's televised apology on Nov. 4, the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted on Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the president, and anti-Park demonstrations continue daily. As a sitting president, she cannot be prosecuted, but prosecutors plan to begin questioning her this week.
They also interviewed senior management officials at Samsung, Hyundai and Korean Air about allegations that they were pressured into donating millions of dollars to foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park. Even if the claims are true — and they probably are — Park deserves more pity than anger, for she couldn't really help it.