The woman at the center of the corruption scandal gripping South Korea angrily declared her innocence on Wednesday, shouting as she was forcibly summoned for questioning that she had been made to confess.
Choi Soon-sil, who has been indicted for meddling in state affairs through her friendship with impeached President Park Geun-hye, made the protest at the special prosecutor's office before being pushed into an elevator by correctional officers.
The dramatic scenes came as the outgoing chief judge of the Constitutional Court urged the bench to wrap up Park's impeachment trial by March 13, when the retirement of another judge will reduce the nine-judge court to seven and could raise questions about the verdict.