Korean prosecutor seeks 25-year jail term for woman at centre of corruption scandal
Seoul — The powerful secret confidante at the centre of the sprawling corruption scandal that brought down South Korean president Park Geun-hye should spend the next quarter of a century in prison, prosecutors demanded Thursday. Park’s longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil — the daughter of her religious guru — was vilified in the massive nationwide protests last year that rocked Asia’s fourth-largest economy and led to Park’s impeachment. Choi was "the alpha and omega of the scandal", a prosecutor told the Seoul Central District Court, "the very person who created a national crisis which resulted in the country’s first-ever impeachment of a president". She "took advantage of presidential authorities to seek personal profit, undermined constitutional values and rattled the government system", he said. "Please sentence Choi to 25 years in prison." He also sought fines and asset seizures totalling 126.2-billion won ($116m). The 61-year-old is accused of colluding with Park to extort millions...
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