Trial underway for confidante of disgraced South Korean president

Choi Soon-sil

The jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-
hye denied on the first day of her trial yesterday that she used her ties to the president to extort money from big companies.

The hour-long hearing at the Seoul Central District Court was the first public appearance in weeks for the woman at the heart of a scandal that led to Park’s impeachment after millions took to streets in protests.

The bespectacled Choi Soon-sil, Park’s friend of 40 years, wore white prison clothes and bowed deeply to the three judges before her lawyer, Lee Kyoung-jae, denied that Choi conspired with Park and her presidential aide to pressure companies to donate tens of millions of dollars to foundations controlled by Choi last year. When directly asked by a judge about the extortion charges, she denied the charges.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble. I’ll faithfully engage in [my] trial,” Choi said.

The court reviewed the charges against Choi, who prosecutors say manipulated state affairs and extorted businesses, and the arguments by her lawyer. Choi’s trial resumes again on Dec. 29, but it’s not clear how long the trial will last. Courts normally issue a verdict within six months of an indictment, so she’ll likely get a verdict by May if prosecutors don’t bring new charges.

Ten others swept up in the scandal also face trial. Choi is also known as Choi Seo-
won, which is how she was referred to in court.

It is South Korea’s biggest trial since the 2014 court appearance of the crew of a ferry that sank and killed more than 300 people, mostly teenagers.

Choi last appeared in public on Oct. 31, when, after losing a Prada shoe in a crush of media and protesters, she told reporters at the Seoul prosecutors’ office that she had “committed a sin that deserves death.”

Choi’s lawyer, Lee, said that prosecutors violated Choi’s rights by illegally investigating her after she’d been indicted. Prosecutors denied that.

Choi is charged with abuse of power, extortion and attempted fraud. If convicted on all charges, she could receive up to 15 years in prison, according to court spokesman Shin Jae-hwan. Before her arrest, Choi said she that received some of Park’s speeches in advance but that she didn’t know if they included confidential information. She denied the other allegations. Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, AP