PARK GEUN-HYE, THE 66 YEAR OLD FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CORRUPTION RELATED OFFENCES.

On Friday, April 6, 2018, a South Korean court sentenced former President Park Geun-hye for 24 years in prison for corruption related offences. She was also fined 18 billion won ($16.9 million). According to the report our correspondent gathered,  the court found Park Geun-hye guilty of charges including bribery, abuse of power and coercion. Ex-President Park Geun-hye conspired with Choi Soon-sil (her friend) to receive about 7 billion won ($6.56 million) each from Lotte Group and Samsung group. They also demanded 8.9 billion won from SK (an energy conglomerate). Last year (2017), Park Geun-hye was forced out of office due to the scandal and she has been in jail since March 31, 2017. Choi Soon-sil was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2018. Shin Dong-bin (the chairman of the Lotte Group) was jailed for two and half years. Jay Y. Lee (Samsung Group heir) was also sentenced in the same case (bribery and embezzlement) but in February, an appeal court freed him after spending a year in jail.