The prosecution on Thursday demanded 25 years in prison for Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of the massive corruption scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye’s ouster early this year. The court will rule on Jan. 26.

At the final hearing of the 13-month trial at the Seoul Central District Court, the special counsel and state prosecutors asked the court to order Choi, 61, to pay a fine of 118.5 billion won ($109 million) and forfeit 7.7 billion won, saying she is “the beginning and the end of the corruption scandal.”

Choi, Park’s friend of 40 years, has been tried on a total of 18 charges including bribery and coercion since Nov. 20. The charges against her center on the alleged collusion with the former president to extort donations from local firms and receiving bribes from Samsung Group.

The prosecution also asked the court to sentence Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, 62, to four years in prison and confiscate 7 billion won for offering bribes to Choi-controlled foundations in return for favors for his duty-free business.

For senior presidential secretary An Chong-bum, 58, the prosecution demanded the court hand down a six-year jail term, impose a fine of 100 million won, and forfeit 40 million won for colluding with Park and Choi to extort local firms. He is also accused of taking bribes from a local plastic surgeon. 
 

Accusing Choi of capitalizing on her 40-year ties to Park and disrupting the order of the government and private businesses in doing so, the prosecution called for a heavy punishment to serve as a lesson to future generations.

“Choi colluded with Park and used Park’s presidential power for her private interests, which resulted in severely violating Constitutional values and shaking the foundations of the nation,” a prosecutor said, adding Choi shows no signs of atoning for her wrongdoings.

Also calling it a typical case of corruption between politics and business, the prosecution underscored the “need to sound an alarm about corruption crimes in society.”

Choi is accused of using her ties to Park to force conglomerates to donate 77.4 billion won to two foundations controlled by her. She is also accused of taking bribes worth 29.8 billion won from Samsung Group for her daughter’s equestrian training and her business interests.

Choi has denied all charges, blaming the prosecution for framing her in a fabricated case. She vehemently defended Park, saying Park is not such a person who could pursue private interests.

“I never conspired with Park to seek personal interests, but being fined more than 100 billion won is more severe than having property confiscated in a socialist country,” said Choi during her 20-minute final remark.

“South Korea’s prosecution must make an effort to find the truth but it has been biased against (me).” she said, choking several times and shedding tears. “I cannot accept the frame (the prosecution) has put me and President Park in.”

Choi, arrested in November last year, is one of the central figures in the corruption scandal that sent ex-President Park, government officials and business tycoons including Samsung Group’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong to trial and jail.


Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to five years in jail for giving or promising to offer donations worth 43.3 billion won to Park and Choi, which the prosecution viewed as bribes. He appealed the ruling.

The verdict for Choi, Shin and An, slated for 2:10 p.m. on Jan. 26, is likely to affect the ruling for Park, as Choi and Park were accused as accomplices for 13 charges including bribery and coercion.

Park, who has been detained since March 31, is standing trial on a total of 18 charges including bribery and abuse of power. She is suspected of letting Choi meddle in state affairs, helping her business interests and discriminating against liberal artists critical of her as well as sacking government officials who refused to aid or abet her alleged wrongdoings. Another major charge is leaking government secrets to Choi.

The corruption scandal drove an accumulated 17 million people onto the streets demanding Park’s ouster for months, which led the parliament to impeach Park on Dec. 9. The impeachment was finalized by the Constitutional Court in a unanimous ruling on March 10.

Choi received a three-year prison term in a separate corruption case for abusing her power to get her daughter accepted into a prestigious university despite her lack of qualifications.

It is not yet decided whether the verdict hearing will be televised. According to a recent change in court rules, it is now possible to broadcast live sentencing hearings deemed important to the public interest.

By Ock Hyun-ju  (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)