President Park Geun-hye will calmly await the Constitutional Court's review if parliament passes her impeachment motion slated for later this week, the leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party said Tuesday after holding a meeting with the embattled chief executive, the Yonhap's source.
Earlier in the day, Reps. Lee Jung-hyun and Chung Jin-suk, the chairman and floor leader of the ruling party, respectively, met with Park as the opposition parties and some Saenuri members are poised to put an impeachment motion to a vote at the plenary session of parliament on Friday.
"If the impeachment motion is passed, I am ready to remain calm and composed for the country and the people," Park was quoted as saying by Chung.
During the meeting, Park apologized repeatedly to lawmakers over the scandal, the Saenuri leaders said, adding she also feels responsible for bringing confusion to state affairs.
Park has been facing the biggest crisis of her political career amid the influence-peddling scandal, where her confidante Choi Soon-sil exerted influence on state affairs and enjoyed unlawful benefits.
Chung said he also told the president that she will have no choice but to follow the Constitution in regards to the impeachment. Park was also quoted as saying she will do "whatever is necessary" if the impeachment motion is passed.
Chung said Park also decided to accept having Saenuri lawmakers vote on the impeachment motion of their own free will.
The party whip said Park nodded when they said the party has no choice but to scrap the original plan to have the president step down voluntarily in April and hold the presidential election in June.
Political pundits said Park's remarks made on Tuesday indicate she will not step down voluntarily even if the motion is passed at the parliament and will instead await the Constitutional Court's verdict which can take upwards to 180 days.
It took 63 days for the court to dismiss the impeachment motion against late former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004.
