Ousted leader Park Geun-hye due to go on trial
SEOUL: Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye is due to go on trial tomorrow over the spectacular corruption scandal that brought her down, the country’s third former president to appear in the dock.
The fallen head of state will be taken from the detention centre where she is being held to Seoul Central District Court, setting the stage for the final act of the drama that has engulfed her.
As well as conservative Ms Park and the multi-billionaire businessmen who allegedly bribed her, the controversy’s cast list includes the daughter of a shaman, plastic surgeons, and an Asian Games gold medallist fencer-turned-male karaoke host, among others.
As revelation after revelation emerged last year, millions of people took to the streets to demand her removal, culminating in her impeachment by parliament and sacking this March by the country’s top court. Soon afterwards she was detained and indicted.
Her stunning downfall — when she was elected in 2012 she secured the highest vote share of any candidate in the country’s democratic era — capped months of political upheaval in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
The trial is expected to last for months, and could shed new light on the ties between Ms Park and the bosses of the family-run conglomerates who allegedly bribed her, among them Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong and Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin.
It comes only two weeks after the country last week elected left-leaning former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in — who lost the 2012 poll to Ms Park — as her successor.
Tomorrow’s opening session will be Ms Park’s first public appearance since she was taken into custody in March, and hundreds of people flocked to the court to enter a lottery for seats in the public gallery.
“Public interest in the trial is huge. It is the first trial of a former president for more than two decades,” said Kim Byungmin, a Seoul political commentator and professor of public administration at Kyunghee University.
Ms Park, 65, is the third former South Korean leader to stand trial for corruption following Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Taewoo, who served jail terms in the 1990s for charges including bribery and treason.
“It will be a momentous moment after months of political chaos and power vacuum,” said Mr Kim. “The whole country will hold their breath to watch the trial unfold.”
Ms Park faces 18 charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering policy favours to tycoons who bribed her secret confidante at the heart of the scandal.
The friend, Choi Soon-sil, who was Ms Park’s mentor for years, is accused of using her presidential ties to force top firms including Samsung to “donate” nearly $70 million to non-profit foundations which she then used for personal gain.
Ms Park is also accused of letting Ms Choi handle a wide range of state affairs including senior nominations and even her daily wardrobe choices.
Ms Choi is currently on trial for bribery and abuse of power, as is Samsung’s Mr Lee, accused of bribing her in exchange for policy favours from Ms Park.
Ms Park has denied all wrongdoing, blaming Ms Choi for abusing their friendship.