Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye was behind bars in the Seoul Detention Centre on Friday after her arrest, on charges including bribery, in a corruption scandal that has brought low some of the country's business and political elite.
In a dramatic fall from power, Park, 65, became South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office. She is accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to contribute funds to foundations that backed her policy initiatives.
She and Choi, who is already in custody and on trial, deny any wrongdoing.
In the early hours of Friday, the Seoul Central District Court approved prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant for Park after she gave about eight hours of testimony.
Park and her lawyers had argued that she should not be arrested because she did not pose a flight risk and would not try to tamper with evidence. But the court disagreed, and said she might try to manipulate evidence.
Also at Straits Times, Korea Herald, and the Washington Post. Korea Times editorial.
Previously: South Korean President Park Geun-hye Impeached
President Park Geun-hye's Impeachment Upheld as South Korea's "Trial of the Century" Begins
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 04 2017, @10:06PM
I would love for Obama, Trump, and Bush to go to prison for conducting unconstitutional mass surveillance on the populace, along with all their buddies who aid this practice.
Politicians don't get privacy if we don't.