South Korean court concludes longest arrest warrant trial of former President Park Geun-hye in history – Xinhua News Agency

On March 22, 2017, the ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye left the Seoul Prosecutor’s Office. (Xinhua News Agency/Li Xianghao/File Photo)

SEOUL, March 30 (Xinhua) — A South Korean court on Thursday concluded the longest trial in South Korean history on the arrest warrant of former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached earlier this month.

For safety reasons, Park Geun-hye rode to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (next to the Seoul Central District Court) from 10:30 a.m. local time, where she appealed to the judge, begging him to find her not guilty. The appeal lasted nearly nine hours.

Television footage showed the 65-year-old woman looking exhausted by the long hearing as she was escorted by two female investigators into a black sedan provided by prosecutors.

The Special Investigation Headquarters of the Seoul Prosecutors’ Office, which is responsible for investigating Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal, said via text message that Park Geun-hye will await the court’s decision in a temporary detention center on the tenth floor of the prosecutors’ office.

The decision was widely expected to be made early Friday morning amid multiple allegations against the park.

Prosecutors have determined that Park was an accomplice of her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who has been detained on multiple charges including bribery, abuse of power, coercion and leaking confidential documents.

Park Geun-hye lost her immunity from criminal prosecution while in office and was questioned by prosecutors nine days ago. On March 10, a historic ruling upheld the impeachment motion against Park Geun-hye, and Park Geun-hye was permanently removed from office.

Prosecutors sought to arrest Park earlier this week. If a warrant is issued, Park would become the third former South Korean leader to be detained.