Former Korean president Park is jailed for 24 years for corruption

PARK GEUN-HYE, South Korea’s former president, was yesterday sentenced to 24 years in jail after being found guilty of bribery, abuse of power and coercion.

She was ousted from office last year during the biggest political corruption scandal to hit Asia’s fourth largest economy in a generation. The verdict in a court in Seoul, the South Korean capital, was broadcast live against the wishes of Park, 66.

It followed a 10-month trial that exposed a shady nexus of big business and politics. She was also fined £12million.

“The accused is guilty of abuse of power,” said Judge Kim Se-yoon, ruling that Park had forced major conglomerates including Samsung and Lotte to donate a total of £52 million to two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, her secret confidante.

Park was charged on 18 counts of corruption, including bribery, coercion, abuse of power and leaking state secrets. She was acquitted of at least two of the charges, including abuse of power relating to forcing the Hyundai car company to run advertisements for the company owned by Choi. The televised trial took place roughly a year after her arrest in late March 2017.

The daughter of Park Chung-hee, the assassinated dictator, Park rose to fame as the nation’s first female president, but also became the first elected head of state to be ousted. It marked a dramatic downfall for a leader who came to power in 2013, pledging to fight graft. South Korea was shaken by allegations that Ms Choi, 60, exploited her relationship with Park to extort donations out of major companies to foundations used for her personal gain, and to get her daughter preferential admission to an elite Seoul university.

Park was accused of taking secret advice from Ms Choi, who had no official position, on everything from

North Korea policy to her wardrobe choices.

The scandal prompted millions to demonstrate and demand the president’s resignation, leading to her impeachment in December 2016.

Park was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court the following March.