Prosecutors asked a court Wednesday to sentence a former vice culture minister to three and a half years in jail for extorting money from conglomerates in connection with an influence-peddling scandal that led to the ouster of President Park Geun-hye.
Kim Chong, who served as a vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from 2013-2016, was indicted in October last year on charges of abuse of power, embezzlement and other charges.
Prosecutors also requested a 1 1/2 year prison term for Chang Si-ho, a niece of Choi Soon-sil, who is Park's longtime friend and confidante at the center of the scandal. She was indicted in December over similar charges.