South Korean prosecutors indict ousted President Park on corruption charges

Ousted South Korean president Park Guen-hye is escorted to jail — (Image credit: Ahn Young-joon/AFP/Getty Images)

On Monday, prosecutors in South Korea announced that they have indicted former President Park Geun-hye on corruption and abuse of power charges that could send her to jail for life. Park, 65, was impeached in December, formally removed from office March 10, and arrested on March 30 amid a national scandal that has also swept up Park's longtime friend and confidante Choi Soon-Sil, government officials, and several top business executives, including Samsung heir apparent Lee Jae-yong and, on Monday, Shin Dong-bin, the chairman of South Korea's fifth-largest business conglomerate, Lotte Group.

Park has been housed in a detention center since her arrest, and during her expected six-month trial, South Koreans will see her stand trial in handcuffs and bound with rope, possibly in prison uniform, The Associated Press reports. A majority of South Koreans approved of her removal from office, but some of her conservative supporters are urging authorities to pardon Park, should she be convicted. South Korea will vote for her successor on May 9.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.