A South Korean court will broadcast the sentencing of disgraced ex-President Park Geun-hye.
SEOUL, April 3 (UPI) — A South Korean court will broadcast the sentencing of disgraced ex-President Park Geun -hye who has stood trial over a slew of corruption charges that ousted her from office last year.
The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday said the impeached president’s sentencing will go live from 2:10 p.m. on Friday, KBS reported.
The decision comes despite the ex-President’s objection to her trial being televised. She submitted a hand-written letter to the court on Monday, opposing the live coverage.
« The panel decided to allow the live broadcast, after considering various factors, including matters of public interest, » a court official said.
The court says it will broadcast the trial using its own cameras and equipment, in order to prevent excessive media coverage, Yonhap reported.
The lower court’s judges are expected to deliver their verdict on some 18 corruption charges against her, including abuse-of-power, bribery, extortion and leaking confidential state documents.
In February, prosecutors asked the court to deliver a 30-year prison sentence and a fine of $110 million for the former president.
Observers say Park is unlikely to attend her trial, as she has been boycotting court proceedings since October last year when judges decided to extend her arrest warrant.
It is the first time for the country to broadcast a sentencing trial live, after the Supreme Court amended regulations last year.
The court has previously denied live coverage of Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who are both involved in the massive corruption scandal.
