Park Geun-hye
South Korea’s Former President Pardoned Over Corruption Charges
Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has been serving a 22-year prison term for corruption charges, was granted a special pardon by the government on Friday and is set to be released on Dec. 31. “We must overcome the pain of the past and move forward into the new era,” President Moon Jae-in said […]
South Korea Court Upholds Jail for Ex-President Park, Clearing Way for Chance of a Pardon
SEOUL—South Korea’s top court upheld on Thursday a 20-year jail sentence for former President Park Geun-hye on graft charges that led to her downfall, bringing an end to the legal process and so for the first time raising the possibility of a pardon. Park became South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be thrown out […]
South Korea’s former president appears in court
South Korea’s impeached President Park Geun-hye started her corruption trial on May 5. Park is charged with abusing her office and accepting bribes. If found guilty she could face 10 years in prison. Park denies all accusations and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Ousted South Korean president begins defense for corruption charges
The former South Korean president is now on trial. Park Geun-hye faces more 10 years in prison if convicted of corruption. She was impeached after months of protests. She and a close associate were found to have colluded with large corporations. Charges include bribery, abusing state power, and leaking state secrets. Companies intertwined with the […]
South Koreans turn out to support their candidates
Thousands of South Koreans turned out to support their favorite candidates for the nation’s upcoming presidential election. An election was called after sitting President Park Geun-hye was impeached and arrested over an influence-peddling scandal. Corruption was a key voter concern, understandably. Education costs, minimum wage, and jobs were also important issues. “I was disappointed with […]
Ousted SKorea president charged with bribery
South Korea prosecutors charged ousted President Park Geun-hye with bribery. Park was indicted alongside Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin on April 17. Lotte is one of South Korea’s biggest companies. Prosecutors said Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil colluded 7 billion won,(US $6.16 million) from Lotte. Park was charged with abuse of power and coercion. […]
Highly acclaimed crime-genre films in South Korea
Recently, South Korea has often made world headlines for its impeachment of the sitting president, Park Geun-hye. On March 10, the country’s Constitutional Court formally announced its decision to uphold the parliamentary vote to impeach the president for political scandals involving her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil. Amid this political chaos, however, two characters became instant […]
Court trial begins for Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee
Samsung’s jailed leader Jay Y. Lee arrived at Seoul Central District Court on Friday, April 7. This is the first day of Lee’s trial for bribery and embezzlement allegations. One charge Lee is facing is that he pledged bribes to organizations tied to Choi Soon-sil, confidant of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye. Lee was […]
South Korean rights lawyer wins Democratic Party primary as presidential candidate
Moon Jae-in, a South Korean human rights lawyer, won the liberal Democratic Party primary on April 3. Moon, 64, is the presidential candidate representing the largest party in next month’s presidential election. Moon’s nomination sets him on course to becoming South Korea’s president after Park Geun-hye was removed from office in March over collusion allegations. […]
Sunken Korean ferry salvaged and brought back to port
A South Korean ferry that sank three years ago has been salvaged from the seabed. On Wednesday March 29, salvagers brought the ship up from a depth of 144 feet (44 meters) and loaded it onto a salvage vessel to be brought back to port. The ferry sank on April 16, 2014, killing 304 people, […]
Ousted South Korean president now arrested
Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday (March 31) after a South Korean court approved the warrant. Park was removed from office earlier this month—she is the country’s first democratically elected leader to be ousted on accusations of bribery and abuse of power. Park will be taken to Seoul Detention Center and […]
Former South Korean president completes testimony
South Korea’s ex-President Park Geun-hye finished about eight hours of testimony at a court hearing on March 30. A judge will review the evidence and arguments presented and decide if Park should be arrested on charges including bribery. After her testimony, Park left for the prosecutor’s office, where she will stay until the judge rules […]
South Korea’s ousted leader apologizes, promises cooperation in graft investigation
Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologized to the country on Tuesday (March 21) as she arrived at the prosecutors’ offices for questioning as a criminal suspect in a widening corruption investigation that has already cost her the presidency. Park, 65, became the first democratically elected leader to be removed from office when on March […]
Lotte Group founder and CEO in court for embezzlement
A South Korean court on Monday (March 20) began the trial of owning family members of Lotte Group over a corruption scandal that hit the country’s fifth largest conglomerate last year. Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, appeared at Seoul Central District Court along with his eldest son, Shin Dong-joo, his common-law wife, Seo Mi-kyung, and […]
South Korea: Impeached leader Park Geun-hye leaves presidential palace in disgrace
Disgraced South Korean leader Park Geun-hye left presidential Blue House on Sunday (March 12), two days after a court impeached her over a corruption scandal. She was bound for her private home and faces the possibility of prosecution and jail. Park left the compound in a motorcade of fast-moving black cars, flanked by police motorbikes, […]
South Korea court upholds President Park’s impeachment
South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on Friday (March 10), removing her from office over a graft scandal involving big business that has gripped the country for months. Park becomes South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office. A presidential election will be held in 60 days, […]
South Korean prosecutors: President Park colluded for Samsung bribe
South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye colluded with her friend Choi Soon-sil to receive bribes from Samsung Group aimed at cementing Samsung Chief Jay Y. Lee’s control of the company, a special prosecutor said in a statement on Monday (March 6). “The focus of this special prosecutor probe is the influence-peddling scandal, caused by using the […]
One million protesters in South Korea demand president resign
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans hold a massive candlelit rally to call on President Park Geun-hye to resign, who has been impeached by Parliament over a corruption scandal. Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets of Seoul on February 25 in a candlelight rally to demand President Park Geun-hye steps down. […]