South Korea former president denies all charges as trial opens News
South Korea former president denies all charges as trial opens

South Korea’s impeached president denied all charges and pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in her first court appearance at Seoul Central District Court [official website]. Former conservative party leader Park Guen-hye [BBC profile] was indicted [NYT report] on 18 charges including accepting $52 million in bribes from large corporations such as Samsung [official website]. The scandal [Guardian report] has led to the indictments of former business leaders, former cabinet ministers and senior presidential aides. Park has been living in a solitary cell since her arrest on March 31. Two preliminary hearings were already held in front of a three-judge panel without Park’s presence. Park faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of bribery. Her liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, has the power to pardon her sentence. The next day of hearings is scheduled for Thursday.

This is the latest development in a scandal that has grown to encompass numerous South Korean political and corporate leaders. Park was indicted [JURIST] in April along with Shin Dong-bin [Forbes profile], chairman of the Lotte Group [official website], on similar bribery charges. Earlier in April South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld [JURIST report] parliament’s decision to impeach Park over a scandal related to government bribes paid by Samsung. South Korean lawmakers voted 234-56 to impeach [JURIST report] Park in December. In February Samsung’s would-be head Lee was arrested [JURIST report] on charges of bribery and undue influence in connection with the scandal. Five Samsung executives denied the charges [JURIST report] of bribery, embezzlement and corruption that were leveled against them in connection with Park. Two weeks ago the Seoul Central District Court said that it reassigned Lee’s bribery case [JURIST report] to a new judge, after reports surfaced the same week concerning the previous judge’s connection to a woman Lee is accused of bribing. In February South Korea’s special prosecutor indicted [JURIST report] former culture minister Yoon-sun Cho [official profile] and former presidential chief of staff Ki-choon Kim on charges of coercion, abuse of power and perjury connected to creation of a blacklist of opposition artists critical to Park. Park was arrested [JURIST report] on charges of bribery, coercion, abuse of power, and leaking government secrets on March 31.

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