South Korea’s former leader Park Geun-hye makes her first public appearance on Tuesday since her arrest in March, standing trial on bribery charges over a
SEOUL – South Korea’s former leader Park Geun-hye makes her first public appearance on Tuesday since her arrest in March, standing trial on bribery charges over a corruption scandal that brought down her presidency.
Park faces more than 10 years in jail if found guilty of taking bribes from business leaders, one of the key accusations that led to her impeachment, making her the country’s first democratically elected leader to be removed from office.
Park has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to plead not guilty at the trial.
The first day of arguments on Tuesday comes two weeks after the election of President Moon Jae-in, who has promised to get tough on chaebol bosses who commit crimes, and has named a respected investigator to head the office prosecuting the former leader.
Park is expected to appear at the Seoul Central District Court at 0100 GMT with the friend she is accused of colluding with to solicit money, Choi Soon-sil. Choi has also rejected the bribery charges.
At the court hearing Park and Choi are likely to be reunited for the first time since the scandal erupted in public in late October, seated near each other as defendants.
