- Title: South Korea charges ousted leader Park and Lotte chief with bribery
- Date: 17th April 2017
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - OCTOBER 31, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PARK'S FRIEND, CHOI SOON-SIL, GETTING OUT OF BLACK CAR AND WALKING CHOI PUTTING A HAND OVER HER MOUTH WHILE BEING SURROUNDED BY MEDIA The Seoul Central Court on November 3 granted the warrant to arrest Choi, who had been a friend of Park's for decades but held no formal government role. She was alleged to have used her proximity to the president to meddle in state affairs. Choi's late father Choi Tae-min headed a now-defunct religious sect and was close to Park during and after the presidency of her father, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979. A 2007 U.S. diplomatic cable described the senior Choi as the "Korean Rasputin", an allusion to his perceived influence over Park Geun-hye. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - NOVEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) PARK WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM AND BOWING PARK SAYING (Korean): "If needed, I will faithfully cooperate with prosecutors' investigation and I will also accept even an investigation by a special prosecutors' team." PARK TALKING TO MEDIA AND WALKING AWAY Park renewed a tearful apology on November 4 and said her "heart was breaking" over a political scandal that had engulfed her administration. She said she would cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - NOVEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE BLUE HOUSE, SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE CANDLELIGHT PROTEST IN PROGRESS PROTESTERS CHANTING, ONE HOLDING SIGN READING (English): "NOT MY PRESIDENT!" PROTESTERS DOING A MEXICAN WAVE WITH CANDLES Park faced mounting pressure to step down, as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital and gathered in downtown Seoul every weekend to demand her resignation. Her approval rating plunged to just 4 percent. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS SITTING IN CHAMBER SCREEN READING (Korean): "1. IMPEACHMENT BILL OF PRESIDENT (PARK GEUN-HYE)" VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS PUTTING THEIR BALLOT PAPERS INTO BALLOT BOX SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER, CHUNG SYE-KYUN, SAYING (Korean): "I announce that the impeachment bill of President Park Geun-hye has passed." South Korean lawmakers on December 9 voted overwhelmingly to impeach Park Geun-hye over the influence-peddling scandal, setting the stage for her to become the country's first elected leader to be pushed from office in disgrace. Members of parliament voted by secret ballot with 234 in favour and 56 opposed, meaning dozens of members of Park's own conservative Saenuri Party backed the motion to remove her. At least 200 members of the 300-seat chamber were needed to vote for the motion for it to pass. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn took over as acting president while the Constitutional Court reviewed Park's impeachment motion.
- Embargoed: 1st May 2017 11:40
- Keywords: South Korea former President Park Geun-hye file prosecutor charged bribery corruption
- Location: SEOUL, UIWANG, SOUTH KOREA
- City: SEOUL, UIWANG, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0026CSE5OL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:South Korean prosecutors on Monday (April 17) charged ousted president Park Geun-hye with bribery in the latest twist to a corruption scandal that rocked the country for months.
Prosecutors accused Park of colluding with her old friend Choi Soon-sil to receive 7 billion won ($6.16 million) from Lotte for favours, they said in a statement. Park was charged with abuse of power and coercion by pressuring big businesses to contribute funds to non-profit foundations, the prosecutors said.
Park is also charged with taking bribes worth about 29.8 billion won from Samsung scion Jay Y. Lee in exchange for supporting his succession, according to the prosecutors' statement.
Park, Lee, Choi and Samsung Group have denied wrongdoing and are being held at detention centres. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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