The former South Korean president Park Geun-hye has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for abuse of power and corruption, in a scandal that exposed webs of double-dealing between political leaders and conglomerates, and the power of a Rasputin-like figure at the top of government. The court found Park had colluded with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to solicit bribes from South Korean conglomerates including Samsung and the retail company Lotte in exchange for policy favours. But while personally damaging to South Korea’s first female leader, the corruption scandal dealt a major blow to conservatives in the following election. They emerged when South Korean businessmen took over the assets of colonial-era Japanese firms after the second world war, and rose to prominence under the industrial policies of President Park Chung-hee in the 1960s. Despite the scandal, Park still commands a loyal following in South Korea, especially among elderly people.

Source: The Guardian April 06, 2018 06:02 UTC