Biodun.BBC: Park Geun-hye

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Friday, June 2, 2017

Court frees daughter of S. Korea 'Rasputin'

03 June 2017 - 06H50 GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME

by Coco Jiang and Biodun Iginla, France24, Seoul

© POOL/AFP | Chung Yoo-Ra Chung was arrested on a Korean Air flight from Amsterdam early Wednesday and was escorted off the plane at Incheon by a team of prosecutors to face a handful of journalists and television cameras.

SEOUL -

The daughter of South Korea's "Rasputin", whose lavish lifestyle in Europe saw her caught up in the country's snowballing influence-peddling scandal, was freed Saturday after being extradited from Denmark.

Chung Yoo-Ra is the equestrian daughter of Choi Soon-Sil, the close confidante of impeached ex-president Park Geun-Hye and the woman at the heart of the scandal which toppled Park.

Choi -- dubbed "the female Rasputin" for her strong influence over Park -- is on trial along with the ex-president.

Chung was arrested on a Korean Air flight from Amsterdam early Wednesday and was escorted off the plane at Incheon by a team of prosecutors to face a handful of journalists and television cameras.

Prosecutors say cash for Chung's equestrian training came from electronics giant Samsung, which had handed over the money as part of an attempt to curry favour with her powerful mother.

However, a Seoul court ordered her released Saturday.

"It is difficult to accept the reason and the need for her arrest", the Seoul Central District Court said, turning down the prosecution's request to formally arrest the 21-year-old.

The court noted basic evidence had already been secured by prosecutors and she was not an active part in the case.

Following the decision, Chung, who had been in custody since being extradited from Denmark Wednesday, said: "I'm truly sorry for having caused so much concern to many. ... I will sincerely reply in questioning by prosecutors."

She is accused of receiving bribes from Samsung, illegally moving money abroad and violating South Korean laws on the handling of foreign currency during her stay in Europe.

It is also alleged Chung received undue admission and grading favours from Seoul-based Ewha Woman's University.

Chung has said she had no knowledge of the "special treatment" she allegedly received, adding she knew nothing of what transpired between her mother and Park.

The disgraced former president was kicked out of office in March amid public disgust at the influence of money on South Korean politics.

Park and Choi are currently in jail and on trial for allegedly accepting or seeking millions of dollars in bribes from the country's huge conglomerates, including Samsung.

Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong is being tried separately while Shin Dong-Bin -- the chairman of retail giant Lotte, the South's fifth-biggest conglomerate -- also stands accused.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Denmark extends S.Korea 'Rasputin' daughter's detention

22 February 2017 - 12H40 GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME

by Elodie Bagnol and Biodun Iginla, France24, STOCKHOLM

© KOREA POOL/AFP | Choi Soon-Sil -- dubbed the "female Rasputin" for the influence she wielded over South Korea's now-impeached president Park Geun-Hye -- is escorted into a Seoul courtroom for her abuse of power trial in 2016

STOCKHOLM -

A Danish court extended Wednesday for another month the detention of the daughter of Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the centre of a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of South Korea's president.

Chung Yoo-Ra, the 20-year-old daughter of the woman dubbed South Korea's "Rasputin", is one of the figures in the influence-peddling scandal that sparked massive street protests demanding the removal of President Park Geun-Hye.

Chung was detained in Denmark on January 1 for overstaying her visa, after South Korean authorities issued a warrant for her arrest. Seoul then sought her extradition.

The Danish Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has said it needs more time to complete its processing of the case, and was waiting for the South Korean authorities to answer some questions.

"The detention has been extended until March 22," a court spokeswoman told AFP.

Chung has denied any wrongdoing.

The equestrian, who has reportedly bought horses and trained in Denmark in the past, has told police that she was in the country because of her involvement in the sport.

Chung's mother, a confidante of Park, is accused of using her influence to secure her daughter's admission to an elite Seoul university, with a state probe revealing the school had admitted Chung at the expense of other candidates with better qualifications.

The revelation touched a raw nerve in education-obsessed South Korea.

Several professors at Ewha Women's University, including a former school president, have been investigated for allegedly giving Chung preferential treatment.

Friday, December 9, 2016

S. Korea protests take on celebratory mood after Park ouster

10 December 2016 - 03H05 GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME

by Coco Jiang and Biodun Iginla, France24, Seoul

SEOUL -

A day after South Korean lawmakers successfully impeached scandal-hit President Park Geun-Hye, hundreds of thousands of people were expected to take to the streets of Seoul on Saturday for a scheduled protest turned celebration.

For the seventh straight week, the capital braced for one of the huge candle-lit rallies that have become the signature of a mass movement aimed at removing the deeply unpopular Park from office.

Although the national assembly voted to strip Park of her executive powers on Friday, activists say they intend to keep up the pressure with the impeachment still requiring final approval from the Constitutional Court -- a process that could take months.

And many are still adamant that the president should resign immediately and face criminal prosecution.

Until the court rules, Park's authority is only suspended and she retains the title of president and the immunity from prosecution that goes with it.

She was impeached on numerous counts of constitutional and criminal violations ranging from a failure to protect people's lives to bribery and abuse of power.

Most of the charges stemmed from an investigation into a scandal involving the president's long-time friend, Choi Soon-Sil, who is currently awaiting trial for fraud and embezzlement.

Prosecutors named Park a suspect in the case, saying she colluded in Choi's efforts to strong arm donations from large companies worth tens of millions of dollars.

- People power -

The impeachment process was ignited and fuelled by public outrage at Park's behaviour, with weekly mass demonstrations demanding that politicians take a pro-active role in removing her from the presidential Blue House.

The National Assembly has now played its part, but the country still faces an extended period of political uncertainty at a time of slowing economic growth and elevated military tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea.

"The political paralysis that has enveloped governmental decision-making over the past month is likely to continue for at least the next four to eight months," said Scott Snyder, a Korea specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.

The man charged with steering the country through these dangerous waters is a former prosecutor who has never held elected office.

As Park's prime minister, Hwang Kyo-Ahn became the temporary guardian of her sweeping executive powers the moment after she was impeached.

A stern and not particularly popular figure, Hwang is especially disliked by liberal activists for his zealous pursuit of people deemed "North Korean sympathisers" under the South's draconian national security law.

- Calm offensive -

Flung into a role he had never sought, Hwang sought to strike a reassuring tone in a televised address delivered shortly after Friday's vote.

"More than anything else, I will maintain solid national security," he said, stressing that the military was prepared for any provocation from Pyongyang.

North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests this year and multiple missile launches, prompting South Korea to agree to host a sophisticated US anti-missile system -- despite protests from China.

On the economic front, central Bank of Korea governor Lee Ju-Yeol formed a task force to monitor volatility in the financial and foreign-exchange markets around the clock.

Finance Minister Yoo Il-Ho held an emergency meeting of key officials to discuss policy responses to potential challenges arising from Park's impeachment.

Contributing to the general anxiety is the presidential power transition in the United States, a key economic and military ally which has nearly 30,000 troops permanently stationed in South Korea.

Biodun Iginla, BBC News