Asia

Ousted South Korean leader accused of dog abandonment

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A Supporter of ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye holds her portrait in front of her private home in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 15, 2017. South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they plan to summon and question ousted Park next week over a corruption scandal that removed her from office. The signs read " A group that loves the president". (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) (The Associated Press)

Supporters of ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye gather in front of her private home in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 15, 2017. South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they plan to summon and question Park next week over a corruption scandal that removed her from office. The signs read " We love Park Geun-hye." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) (The Associated Press)

In this Sept. 20, 2015 photo provided by South Korean Presidential Blue House, then South Korean President Park Geun-hye is seen with dogs at the presidential blue house in Seoul, South Korea. It was hard to imagine that ousted President Park could get any more unpopular in South Korea - until she moved out of the presidential palace and left her nine dogs behind. Just days after being removed from office by the Constitutional Court over a massive corruption scandal, an animal rights group accused Park of animal abandonment for leaving the dogs behind. (South Korean Presidential Blue House via AP) (The Associated Press)

A South Korean animal rights group has accused ousted President Park Geun-hye of abandoning her pets after she left nine dogs at the presidential palace when she returned to her private home after a court stripped her of her office over a corruption scandal.

A spokesman from the presidential Blue House said Wednesday that the dogs will continue to stay at the presidential palace until they are ready to be sent to new owners.

It's unclear whether Park's refusal to keep the dogs qualifies as abandonment under the country's animal protection law.

Prosecutors plan to question Park next week over suspicions that she colluded with a friend to extort money and favors from companies and allowed the friend to secretly interfere with state affairs.