SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors have raided the Seoul office of Samsung Electronics in connection with a snowballing influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye's longtime confidante.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office says Tuesday's raid was part of investigation into the scandal centering on how much Park's friend Choi Soon-sil meddled in state affairs though she doesn't have any government job.

The prosecutors' office gave no further details. Yonhap news agency says the raid was related to a suspicion that Samsung gave Choi's daughter illicit financial help.

Park visited National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun on Monday to discuss how to defuse a political crisis triggered by the scandal. The results of their meeting weren't immediately known.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Seoul on Saturday, demanding Park's removal from office. </s> South Korean prosecutors raided the offices of Samsung Electronics Co. early Tuesday morning amid allegations that the South Korean technology company gave money to Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park Geun-hye, who has been accused of exerting influence over government affairs.

 South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported prosecutors are looking into whether Samsung improperly provided financial assistance to Choi's daughter.

 Samsung Electronics, reeling from a $5.4 billion profit hit after it was forced to discontinue its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, said prosecutors visited its office but declined to comment further.

 Prosecutors have been investigating an allegation that Samsung provided 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) to a company co-owned by Choi and her daughter, who was previously a member of the South Korean national equestrian team, Yonhap reported.

 Park Sang-jin, a Samsung Electronics president for corporate relations, is currently head of Korea Equestrian Federation. Yonhap said his office was part of the prosecutor's raid Tuesday morning. Park Sang-jin could not be reached for comment.

 Prosecutors have already questioned a Samsung executive as part of the probe, according to a prosecution source.

 Yonhap reported prosecutors were also raiding the offices of the Korea Equestrian Federation and the Korea Horse Affairs Association.

 The Korea Equestrian Federation declined to comment on the report, and the Korea Horse Affairs Association did not immediately comment; according to agencies.

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 Source: The Financial Express </s> South Korea’s Special Prosecutor’s Office on Monday sought an arrest warrant against Samsung chief Jay Y Lee, who is accused of paying bribes worth millions to President Park Geun-hye’s friend, who is at the centre of an extortion scandal. Jay Lee is also accused of embezzlement and perjury, according to the application for an arrest warrant, Reuters reported.

The vice chairman of Samsung Electronics faces allegations of paying bribes worth 43 billion won (more than Rs 200 crore) to organisations with links to Choi Soon-sil, the president’s long-time friend and confidante. He had allegedly paid bribed to ensure the merger of two company affiliates as well as his control of the family business – he became the de facto head of the Samsung Group after his father was incapacitated by a heart attack in 2014.

Spokesman for the prosecution Lee Kyu-chul said that the office had evidence to prove that both Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil had profited from payments made by the Samsung chief. “The special prosecutors’ office, in making this decision to seek an arrest warrant, determined that while the country’s economic conditions are important, upholding justice takes precedence,” he added.

Samsung – South Korea’s largest conglomerate, generating about 17% of the country’s revenue – has denied the accusations: “It is especially hard to accept the special prosecutor’s assertion that there was improper request for a favour related to the merger or succession of control,” the company said in a statement. Shares of Samsung Electronics ended 2.14% lower after the news broke.

The South Korean Parliament had impeached President Park Geun-Hye on December 9, following accusations of colluding with Choi Soon-sil to extort money in the form of donations from South Korean companies. The money, which was transferred to non-profit foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, was allegedly used for personal gains. The president also faces accusations of ordering her aides to leak official state documents to her friend, who has no official position in the South Korean government.

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has six months to decide on whether it will uphold the impeachment motion. Till then, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn holds the responsibility of running the country. If the court decides to remove Park Geun-Hye from the position, South Korea will have to elect a new president within 60 days of the ruling. </s> SEOUL: South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday raided Samsung Electronics’ headquarters as part of a probe into a damaging political scandal involving President Park Geun-Hye and her close personal friend.

“We’re searching Samsung Electronics offices,” a spokesman for the prosecutors’ office told AFP. He declined to provide any further details.

Media reports have suggested that Samsung Electronics may have funnelled as much as 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) to Park’s confidante, Choi Soon-Sil, to bankroll her daughter’s equestrian training in Germany.

Choi is currently under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power, related to accusations that she leveraged her personal relationship with Park to coerce donations from large companies like Samsung to two non-profit foundations she set up and allegedly used for personal gain.

Samsung has said it will cooperate with any investigations, but declined to comment specifically on Tuesday’s raid.

Choi also faces allegations that she interfered with government affairs, including the nomination of senior officials.

The scandal has triggered nationwide protests calling for Park to step down, and seriously undermined her administration with just over a year left of her presidential term.

In an effort to restore public trust, Park has reshuffled her senior ministers and advisers, and nominated a new prime minister from outside her conservative Saenuri Party.

Park was scheduled to visit the National Assembly on Tuesday morning to discuss the ongoing crisis and the possibility of steering her prime ministerial nomination through parliament.

Opposition parties have complained they were not consulted on the nomination and have refused to meet with Park until it is withdrawn. AFP </s> The prosecutors' search is related to whether Samsung may have improperly provided financial assistance to a daughter of the president's friend, Choi Soon-sil, Yonhap reported.

Officials at Samsung Electronics, Samsung Group and the prosecutors' office could not be immediately reached for confirmation or comments.

Prosecutors have been investigating an allegation that Samsung provided 2.8 million euros to a company co-owned by Choi and her daughter, who was previously a member of the South Korean national equestrian team.

Park's presidency has been rocked by the scandal involving Choi who is alleged to have used her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs and wield influence in the sports and cultural communities.

Park has publicly apologized twice for the scandal but her approval rating has plunged to 5 percent according to a Gallup poll released on Friday, the lowest since such polling began in 1988. </s> South Korean prosecutors are seeking to question President Park Geun-hye this week over a political scandal that has engulfed her presidency, the Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Park exerted improper pressure on “chaebol” conglomerate bosses to raise funds for two foundations at the center of an influence-peddling scandal involving a longtime friend of hers.

Prosecutors have already questioned the chairmen of Hyundai Motor and Korean Air Lines and plan to question the de factor head of Samsung Group and other conglomerate chiefs over the political scandal, media reports said Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands marched in the capital Seoul on Saturday demanding her resignation. Many of them said Park was unfit to rule.

Cho Yang-ho, chairman of Korean Air Lines, South Korea’s flag carrier and largest airline, appeared for questioning in front of prosecutors Sunday, Yonhap reported.

Officials at the prosecutors office could not immediately be reached for confirmation or comment.

A Hyundai Motor spokesman declined to comment and Samsung Group could not immediately confirm the report. Korean Air Lines could not be reached for comment.

Park, whose public support rating has dropped to the lowest point ever for a democratically elected South Korean leader at 5 percent, is facing growing calls for her to step down.

Park faces allegations she allowed her friend Choi Soon-sil to use her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs and wield influence in the sports and cultural communities.

Prosecutors are investigating people close to Park over whether they had pressured dozens of the country’s biggest conglomerates to contribute to two foundations set up to support the cultural and sports communities.

Park has said she had discussed with conglomerate heads in July last year her desire for them to contribute more for culture without elaborating.

South Korean prosecutors raided Samsung Electronics last week as part of the probe over the scandal and whether the company separately gave millions of euros to a company controlled by Choi and her daughter. </s> SEOUL, South Korea -- Prosecutors have requested the arrest of the Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong as a bribery suspect in the influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of South Korea's president.

The special prosecutors office said Monday that it requested an arrest warrant for Lee, the 48-year-old Samsung Electronics vice chairman.

It said it also indicted ex-health minister Moon Hyung-pyo on charges he abused his power to compel the national pension fund to support a contentious Samsung merger in 2015.

Last week, the investigators questioned Lee on allegations Samsung won government favors such as getting backing for the merger in exchange for donating corporate funds to various entities controlled by Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of President Park Geun-hye. She has been jailed.

Lee earlier denied the allegations. Samsung had no comment. </s> Samsung is dealing with yet another explosive problem.

Prosecutors raided the company's headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday in connection with an abuse-of-power scandal that's engulfing the South Korean government.

The prosecutor's office said it is investigating Samsung (SSNLF) over possible links to the case involving President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante Choi Soon-sil. Park is accused of letting Choi, who does not hold an official government post, view confidential documents and presidential speeches.

Related: South Korea presidential scandal: What you need to know

Local media and opposition parties have accused Choi of using her relationship with Park to accumulate millions of dollars in donations to her foundations. Samsung, the country's biggest company, is alleged to have been among the contributors.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that prosecutors are looking into whether Samsung illegally funneled more than $3 million to a company owned by Choi, allegedly to fund her daughter's equestrian training in Germany.

Samsung and the prosecutor's office declined to comment on the allegations reported by Yonhap.

The growing political firestorm has engulfed Park's administration, spurring tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets demanding her resignation.

Two of the president's former aides have been arrested. And prosecutors issued a warrant for Choi last week on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

Park apologized twice for the scandal, maintaining she wasn't being controlled by anyone, and sacked her prime minister last week.

Related: Note 7 crisis wipes out almost all of Samsung's mobile profits

Meanwhile, Samsung is still reeling from the embarrassing fiasco involving its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

The tech giant killed off the Note 7 last month after repeated reports of the device bursting into flames. That crisis has already wiped out more than $5 billion in profit for the company.

In South Korea, Samsung is more than just a smartphone manufacturer. The conglomerate accounts for a big chunk of the country's economy, reaching into many parts of South Koreans' lives. There are Samsung hospitals, amusement parks, apartment complexes and even a dog adoption center.

-- Paula Hancocks and Jungeun Kim contributed to this report. </s> SEOUL: A South Korean special prosecutor will seek an arrest warrant for Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee for charges including bribery over his role in a corruption scandal that could unseat President Park Geun-hye, his office said on Monday.

The prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung's support for a business and foundations backed by Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, may have been connected to the National Pension Service's 2015 decision to support a controversial merger of two Samsung Group affiliates.
South Korean prosecutors raid the offices of Samsung Electronics as part of a ongoing probe into President Park Geun-hye's controversial association with Choi Soon-sil. Yonhap News Agency reports prosecutors are investigating whether Samsung improperly provided financial assistance to Choi's daughter, Chung Yoo-ra.