Former President Park Geun-hye arrested

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been arrested in connection with the scandal that led to her impeachment.

According to the BBC, Ms Park was taken to a detention centre in southern Seoul after a court approved an arrest warrant for her. Yonhap news agency said she was the third former South Korean president to be arrested on criminal charges, following Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan.

Ms. Park (second from right) was taken to a detention center. Photo: BBC

Reuters news agency quoted a Seoul Central District Court judge as saying, “The cause and necessity of the arrest warrant were recognized as the main accusation against Ms. Park Geun-hye has been confirmed and the evidence can be tampered with.” She could be detained for up to 20 days.

The arrest warrant for Ms. Park was issued after she was questioned for nearly nine hours. The Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrant for Ms. Park on a series of charges including bribery, abuse of power and leaking government secrets. She now faces 13 criminal charges.

On March 10, Ms. Park was removed from office by the Constitutional Court, meaning she lost her legal immunity. Ms. Park is accused of allowing her close friend Choi Soon-sil to interfere in state affairs and profit by using her influence based on her relationship with the president.

According to Vietnamnet.vn