SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- Former President Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in prison and 18 billion won in fine on Friday in a massive corruption scandal that toppled her from power early last year.
In a live televised trial, the Seoul Central District Court meted out the guilty verdict for the 66-year-old former leader, about a year after her arrest in late March of 2017.
Park was convicted of 16 counts of corruption, including bribery, coercion and abuse of power. Prosecutors had demanded a 30-year jail term.
South Korea's first female president, who took office in early 2013, became the nation's first elected head of state to be ousted and now the third former leader to be convicted of corruption.
The scandal led to a parliamentary impeachment of Park in December 2016. She was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court on March 10 the following year.
Park did not appear in Friday's sentencing trial. She has been boycotting the hearing in protest of the court's October decision to extend her incarceration six months.
Problem--Solved on April 6th, 2018 at 07:54 UTC »
Park, South Korea’s first female president, was convicted of more than a dozen counts of abuse of power, coercion and bribery in a case that ensnared an array of the nation’s top officials and businessmen.
KloudMcJoo on April 6th, 2018 at 07:11 UTC »
Also received a ₩18 billion fine, which comes up to about $17 million. Every single news channel in Korea is analyzing the heck out of this sentence right now. From what I can gauge, this comes as a slight surprise to pundits because the sentence seems shorter than many would've expected. Her friend Choi Sun-sil received a 20-year sentence last February, and people guessed Park would receive at least a 30 year sentence. Their estimations were justified because during the entirety of her trial Park was uncooperative, often missing trials for phony illnesses. Hell, judging by the severity of her crimes and the fact that the judge was marking her guilty for the majority of the accusations, it would not have surprised me to see them give her life as a symbolic gesture. Nonetheless, this is what we have been dealt. She will be 90 by the time she sees freedom again. I can't complain much.
[EDIT]
I'm going to hijack my comment to write my summary of the eighteen charges against the former President Park:
Establishment of the MI•R and K-Sports Foundations to 'raise money', AKA coerce Korean businesses to give them funds up to ₩77.4 billion.
Command of the Hyundai Car Corporation to (1) deliver ₩1.1 billion to the KD Corporation, owned by an acquaintence of Choi and (2) allow for a ₩7.1 billion worth of advertisement for the Playground Entertainment group, which is owned by Choi.
Ordering of the Lotte Group to pay out about ₩7 billion to construct the K-Sports' Hanam Sports Complex.
Forcing the POSCO Group to establish a competitive fencing team. When POSCO told Park's associates that, due to poor management conditions, it was impossible, they replied that "This is in the great interest of the Blue House". POSCO chipped in ₩1.6 billion to create the POSCO Fencing Team. Management duties were then given to the The Blue K Corporation (owned by Choi).
'Asked' the KT Corporation to hire two of Choi's friends in their advertisement department and make the Playground Corporation (owned by Choi) their official advertising agency.
Compelled the Grand Korea Leisure Fencing Team to make The Blue K Corporation their agent company.
Made the Samsung Group support the Korea Winter Sports Prodigy Center (한국동계스포츠영계센터) to the tune of ₩1,628,000,000.
'Asked' Son Gyeong-sik, the CJ Group's CEO, to fire his vice-chairman. However, CJ refused.
From 2013 to 2016, leaked a total of 47 classified, governmental files to Choi.
Exchanged ₩7 billion to the K-Sports Foundation from the Lotte Group to expediate the business of the Lotte Duty Free shop.
Exchanged ₩8.9 billion to the K-Sports Foundation from the SK Group for 'help' in their takeover of the CJ Hello Vision, among other benefits.
Made Samsung Group promise to support Chung Yoo-ra (daughter of Choi) in her equestrian endeavors amounting to ₩21.3 billion, receiving ₩7,797,350,000 of that amount... most of it to buy the best horses. The media had a field day with this one, calling it "Horse Laundering".
Together with Choi, agreed with Samsung Group Vice-CEO Lee Jae-yong to give the group various benefits in exchange of ₩1,628,000,000 to the Korea Winter Sports Prodigy Center. Similar to #7, but different in that this pinpoints the corrupt agreement between Samsung and Park & Co., and #7 on the money donation itself.
Received 'donations' of ₩20.4 billion for the MI•R and K-Sports Foundations (12.5 and 7.9, respectively) from Samsung Group.
Ordered executives and employees of the Arts Council, Korea Film Council, and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea interfere in the process of reviewing support for applicants, excluding support for all individuals in opposition to government policies.
Made and kept a cultural 'Black List' of 9,473 individuals (Artists, Writers, Actors, etc.) who either supported the opposition or went against the current reign's policies.
When the director of the Korean Equestrian Federation, Director Roh, pointed a problem in the Chung Yoo-ra/Choi Sun-sil situation in a report, demoted him out of a leadership role, and later made him 'resign'.
Ordered the CEO of the Hana Financial Group, Kim Jung-tae, to appoint a "Mr. Yi" to the 2nd Global Sales Manager position. "Mr. Yi" laid the groundwork for the deal between Samsung and Chung, the "Horse Laundering".
Park was found guilty of all of these except 13 and 14. Choi was also found not guilty of similar charges to 13 & 14, for lack of evidence. Incidentally, Lee Jae-yong was found not guilty of the most of the charges he was involved in... So...
Mister__S on April 6th, 2018 at 07:04 UTC »
Nice! This is how you deal with corruption