Timeline of South Korea's influence-peddling scandal ahead of Supreme Court ruling

Record ID: 1428770

  • Title: Timeline of South Korea's influence-peddling scandal ahead of Supreme Court ruling
  • Date: 27th August 2019
  • Summary: The team summoned Choi for questioning on December 24 on charges including bribery and embezzlement. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - DECEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BUS CARRYING CHOI ARRIVING AT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE CHOI GETTING OFF PRISON BUS WHILE BEING SURROUNDED BY MEDIA AND GETTING INSIDE LIFT Protests demanding Park step down continued on Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. A large crowd of protesters, some dressed as Santa Claus, marched to the presidential office. Protesters also joined the year-end countdown at a bell tower in downtown Seoul after participating in the 10th anti-president weekend rally. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - DECEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS, MANY OF THEM DRESSED AS SANTA CLAUS, MARCHING TOWARD PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE PROTESTERS CARRYING MOCK PRESENT SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - DECEMBER 31, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERED AT BELL PAVILION CALLED 'BOSINGAK' FOR BELL-TOLLING CEREMONY SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - JANUARY 1, 2017) (REUTERS) PEOPLE CHEERING/ POLICE OFFICERS STANDING IN LINE LETTERS ON ROOF READING (Korean/English): "BE HAPPY", "HAPPY NEW YEAR"
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2019 08:06
  • Keywords: president impeachment Samsung timeline trial Choi Soon-sil political scandal Park South Korea Jay Y. Lee Park Geun-hye Supreme Court
  • Location: SEOUL, INCHEON, UIWANG, SOUTH KOREA/ AALBORG, DENMARK/ HAGEN, GERMANY
  • City: SEOUL, INCHEON, UIWANG, SOUTH KOREA/ AALBORG, DENMARK/ HAGEN, GERMANY
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
  • Reuters ID: LVA009AU0XZYF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Korea's Supreme Court is set to deliver a ruling on the bribery conviction of Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee in a corruption scandal on Thursday (August 29) that led to the ouster of the country's then-president in 2017.
    The ruling will be a test of South Korea's pledge to reform dominant conglomerates criticised for cozy relationship with political leaders, at a time when the Asia's fourth-biggest economy is facing a series of headwinds.
    The 51-year-old Lee was convicted of bribing Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of former President Park Geun-hye.
    Prosecutors have alleged that he paid bribes to help secure control of Samsung Group, South Korea's top conglomerate that owns Samsung Electronics, the world's leading smartphone and chip maker. He denied the charges.
    He received a five-year jail term in 2017, but was released in 2018 after an appeals court reduced his punishment to a suspended prison sentence on charges of bribery, embezzlement and other convictions.
    Both Lee and state prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court, leaving the top court with the options of either upholding the appeals court's ruling or asking it to reconsider its judgement, legal experts say. Samsung declined to comment.
    The Supreme Court is also set to rule on appeals court decisions in the cases against Park and Choi.
    Park, who was impeached following the scandal, received a jail sentence of 25 years, while Choi was jailed for 20 years. They were both fined of 20 billion won ($16.53 million).
    (Production: Daewoung Kim, Hyunyoung Yi)
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