SEOUL: South Korea's ousted President Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday (Mar 31) over the corruption and abuse of power scandal that brought her down, a court spokesman said.

The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to arrest Park on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets, after a marathon court hearing the previous day. </s> South Korean prosecutors asked a court Monday for the arrest of the heir to giant conglomerate Samsung for bribery in connection with a political scandal that has seen President Park Geun-Hye impeached. SEOUL: South Korea's special prosecutors' office said it will seek a warrant to arrest the head of Samsung Group, the country's biggest conglomerate, as a corruption scandal engulfing President Park Geun-hye escalated on Monday .

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com. </s> SEOUL, South Korea — Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s impeached and ousted president, was sentenced on Friday to 24 years in prison on bribery and other charges in a case that exposed the entrenched, collusive ties between the government and huge conglomerates like Samsung.

The conviction and sentencing represented a climactic moment in an influence-peddling scandal that drew hundreds of thousands of South Koreans into the streets demanding Ms. Park’s resignation and shook the country’s political and business worlds.

Ms. Park — the conservative daughter of a past dictator — is the country’s first former leader to be convicted of crimes since two former military-backed presidents were found guilty of sedition and corruption in the 1990s. Ms. Park’s conviction on bribery, coercion, abuse of power and other charges was the first lower-court ruling on a criminal case to be broadcast live in South Korea.

Many viewed her conviction as a giant step forward for South Korea’s democracy, raising hopes that the country would tackle the corruption that accompanied its impressive economic rise. But there are fears that no true reform is possible until the country’s powerful conglomerates are held to better account for serious white-collar crimes like bribery. </s> Ousted South Korean president Park Geun-Hye was arrested in the early hours of Friday, on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets. After a long hearing on Thursday, a court had said, “It is justifiable and necessary to arrest (Park) as key charges were justified and there is risk of evidence being destroyed.”

She was taken to a detention centre near Seoul, AFP reported.

A spokesperson for the Democratic Party’s leading presidential contender Moon Jae-in praised the arrest, calling it the first step to rebuilding a collapsed nation, The Korean Herald reported. Park’s own party, the Liberty Korea Party, however, said her arrest was “truly regrettable”. In a statement, they hoped that such a “painful history” won’t repeat itself.

Park is the first democratically elected leader to be ousted from office in South Korea. On December 9, the South Korean Parliament had impeached her.

The former president was accused of colluding with Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend and confidante, to extort money in the form of donations from South Korean companies. The money, which was transferred to non-profit foundations controlled by Choi, was allegedly used for personal gains.

Park had also been accused of ordering her aides to leak official state documents to Choi, who has no official position in the South Korean government. There had been large scale protests demanding her removal as president. </s> Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been found guilty of bribery, abuse of power, and coercion. She was sentenced to 24 years in prison, though prosecutors initially requested 30 years.

The former leader previously denied any wrongdoing, and the sentence was announced in her absence. Park was accused of colluding with her friend Choi Soon-sil, who had been already sentenced to 20 years, in taking tens of millions of dollars from conglomerates.

The high-profile graft scandal led to the president’s impeachment in December 2016, and triggered massive protests across South Korea both supporting and condemning Park. </s> South Korean prosecutors have arrested a former aide of President Park Geun-hye considered a central figure to an influence-peddling scandal, Yonhap News Agency said on Friday.

Jeong Ho-seong was arrested on Thursday night suspected of leaking confidential documents to Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of Park at the center of the scandal.

South Korean prosecutors did not immediately comment on the report. </s> Three people with ties to South Korean President Park Geun-hye have been indicted for their role in a political corruption scandal. Park, however, will not be charged because of a law that makes the president immune from prosecution.

South Korean prosecutors announced Saturday there was enough evidence charge Choi Soon-sil, a friend of the president, and former aides An Chong-bum and Chung Ho-sung.

Lee Young-ryol, the prosecutor who led the corruption probe, said Choi and An are being charged with abuse of power, fraud and coercion. Chung faces charges related to leaking classified documents to Choi through email, phone and fax.

"Park cannot be charged with any 'crime' as a sitting president in accordance with Korean constitution but prosecutors will continue to investigate Park Geun-hye," Lee said.

According to the South Korean constitution, the president cannot be charged with a crime while holding office except for insurrection or treason. </s> SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean judge finds former President Park Geun-hye guilty of abuse of power and coercion; sentencing still to come . </s> A South Korean court sentenced former president Park Geun-hye to eight more years in prison on Friday after finding her guilty on charges of causing loss of government funds and interfering in a 2016 parliamentary election.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Park, who has already received a 24-year jail term over separate corruption charges, colluded with her former aides to cause the loss of government funds worth about 30 billion won ($26.49 million) from the National Intelligence Service.

She was also found guilty of interfering in the ruling party's selection of candidates for the parliamentary election.

Park, 66, has denied wrongdoing and was not present in court. She was found guilty by a lower court in April of separate charges including bribery, abuse of power and coercion.
Authorities arrest Impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets.