News / Koreas

South Korea court deciding on Park’s arrest

Thursday, 30 March 2017 5:36 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 30 March 2017 6:01 AM ]

South Korea’s ousted president Park Geun-hye (R) arrives at a court, which is to decide whether she should be arrested over corruption and abuse of power charges, in Seoul, March 30, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

A court in South Korea has started deliberations on whether to arrest the country’s ousted president Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal.

The embattled former president arrived at the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday morning local time to attend a hearing session over accusations regarding her alleged collusion with a confidante to extort money from big businesses, involvement in bribery, leaking government information, and abusing executive powers.

South Korean prosecutors have already submitted around 120,000 pages of documents to the court in relation to the charges against the 65-year-old Park and said it would be “counter to the principle of fairness” if she was not arrested.

Last December, the South Korean parliament impeached Park over an influence-peddling scandal that involved Choi Soon-sil, her close friend, and the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment earlier this month, permanently removing her from office and revoking her immunity from prosecution.

Park’s confidante is currently in prison and being investigated over allegations of receiving tens of millions of dollars in bribery. Park is also accused of giving Choi access to state information without proper clearance. Both have denied the accusations against them.

The supporters of South Korea’s ousted president Park Geun-hye clash with police outside Park’s house as she leaves for a court hearing in Seoul, March 30, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Park could face more than 10 years in jail if she was convicted of receiving bribes and would then be South Korea’s third former president to be arrested in a criminal case.

Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of Park’s supporters scuffled with police as they had gathered near her Seoul residence, waving national flags and chanting slogans before she left for the court.

South Korean cities have also witnessed huge rallies against the ousted president for months.

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