Prosecutors demand 30-year jail term for ex-S Korean President

Seoul [South Korea]: Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 30-year jail term for former South Korean President Park Geun-hye regarding a massive corruption scandal that led to her removal from the post last year.

Park was unconstitutionally removed in March last year by the South Korean national assembly on charges related to influence peddling by her top aide in a landmark court ruling.

Her presidential powers and duties were suspended with the ratification of the impeachment.

The former South Korean President is accused of colluding with her long-time friend and confidante, Choi Soon-sil, to extort 59.2 billion won (USD 55.2 million) from big conglomerates, such as Samsung, Lotte and SK, in exchange for business favours.

Park was charged with 18 counts of corruption, including bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets in April last year. She has been under presentencing detention since she was arrested later that month, the Yonhap news agency reported.

She is also suspected of letting Choi meddle in state affairs even though she held no official authority or any post in the government, to which she has refuted the charges and pleaded not guilty.

Two weeks ago, Choi was sentenced to 20 years in prison and has appealed the ruling.

Also, Park has not appeared for the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court after the court extended her detention in October last year, raising questions about her faith in the judiciary.

Park is South Korea's first female president (2013-17) and is also the daughter of Park Chung-hee, who was the country's president from 1961 to 1979.

She is also the first president to be impeached before the end of her five-year tenure.