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Court decides whether to arrest ousted South Korean president Park



The 65-year-old appeared expressionless as she arrived at the Seoul Central District Court at 10:20 a.m. (0120 GMT) to plead her case that she should not be arrested while prosecutors investigate the scandal that has ensnared South Korea’s political and business elite.


She and Choi have both denied any wrongdoing.

A judge will study evidence and hear arguments from prosecutors and Park’s lawyers before deciding whether an arrest warrant should be issued.

If Park is arrested, prosecutors will then have up to 20 days to file formal charges against her and put her on trial.

Park emerged from her private home and quickly stepped into a car before she was driven to the court in a motorcade. Police and security personnel blocked her supporters from spilling into the street to stop her car as it left her house in Seoul’s upmarket Gangnam neighbourhood.



Lee, who denies charges that he provided bribes in return for favours for Samsung, and Choi are already in detention and are on trial separately.

If she is arrested, Park will likely be given a bigger cell than other inmates in a Seoul detention facility but be subject to the same rules on everything from meals to room inspections, former prosecution and correctional officials have said.

Park’s hairdresser came to her home as usual on Thursday morning to coif the former president’s hair in her favourite chignon style.

She was removed from office when a constitutional court upheld her parliamentary impeachment this month.

(Editing by Jack Kim; Editing by Paul Tait)