[JURIST] The legal defense team for former South Korean presidentPark Guen-hye [BBC profile] resigned en masse Monday to protest their client’s corruption trial, citing beliefs [VOA report] that the court was biased against her.

In her trial, which is already underway at the Seoul Central District Court [official website], Park faces charges of abuse of power, extortion, bribery and other corruption charges. She could potentially serve the rest of her life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Her legal team resigned after the court granted an extension of her detention until April 2018 in light of the court’s belief that Park may destroy evidence in the case against her if given the opportunity to do so. Park and her legal team, however, have maintained that she is innocent and that the extension is simply a result of the court’s inherent biased against her.

There are no reports of how Park will handle their resignation as the trial goes on.

Park was formally indicted [NYT report] in May on a total of 18 charges, including accepting upwards of $52 million in bribes from Korean corporations such as Samsung [corporate website].

Park was also indicted [JURIST report] 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

Park will now remain detained by South Korean authorities while the trial continues.