{"id":321885,"date":"2017-05-23T13:27:45","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T13:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=321885"},"modified":"2017-05-23T13:27:45","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T13:27:45","slug":"south-korea-trial-of-impeached-president-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/05\/south-korea-trial-of-impeached-president-begins\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea trial of impeached president begins"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea’s former President Park Geun-hye has pleaded not guilty at her trial for corruption, the latest stage in her dramatic fall from grace.<\/p>\n
The ousted president faces charges including bribery, abusing state power and leaking state secrets.<\/p>\n
In her first appearance in public since her arrest in March, she arrived at court handcuffed in a prison van.<\/p>\n
The maximum sentence for corruption in South Korea is life.<\/p>\n
Ms Park is accused of colluding with her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to extort money from some of South Korea’s biggest companies, including Samsung, in return for political favours.<\/p>\n
Ms Choi Soon-sil, who is also facing charges, sat alongside Ms Park at the opening of the trial. She also denies wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
As the trial opened in Seoul, the ex-president’s lawyers said there was “no reason for President Park to force companies to donate money which she was unable to use for herself”.<\/p>\n
Analysis: Stephen Evans, South Korea correspondent<\/strong><\/p>\n