Former South Korean President Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

On Friday, September 2, the South Korean appellate court sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to 25 years in prison for financial corruption. According to Reuters, the Supreme Court of Seoul found Park guilty of colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to receive billions of won (the currency of South Korea). The former president and her accomplice received bribes from major companies such as Lotte Group and Samsung, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer, in exchange for favors, and used these funds to establish charitable foundations for Choi's family. The presiding judge stated that such unethical actions between political power and financial interests damage the foundations of democracy, disrupt the economic market, and lead to public distrust. The appellate court also fined Park 20 billion won, equivalent to $17.86 million. Previously, she had been sentenced to 24 years in prison for her connections to financial corruption networks, but Park had appealed this ruling. Following the exposure of Park's ties with Choi, South Korea witnessed widespread protests. Ultimately, in March 2017, the Constitutional Court of South Korea upheld the parliament's decision to impeach Park, officially removing her from office. Park Geun-hye denies any wrongdoing. Last year, after her ousting, a presidential election was held in which liberal politician Moon Jae-in came to power. Two former South Korean presidents were sentenced to long prison terms in 1996 for treason, rebellion, and financial corruption, but both received presidential pardons and were released after a few years.