Today, the former South Korean president is appearing in court.

On May 23, former President Park Geun Hye, who was impeached, and her close friend Choi Soon Sil, suspected of complicity in a corruption scandal, will appear in court.

This trial will be Park Geun Hye's first public appearance since being taken to prison in March 2017.

Park Geun Hye was accused of receiving or demanding 59.2 billion won (equivalent to $52.7 million) in bribes from major South Korean corporations, including Samsung. She was impeached from the presidency on March 10.

Park Geun-hye. Photo: Yonhap

Park Geun Hye faces 18 charges including corruption, coercion of businesses, and abuse of power for implementing policies that favored tycoons who bribed her close friend Choi Soon Sil – the center of the scandal.

Meanwhile, Choi Soon Sil is accused of using her relationship with Park Geun Hye to coerce leading South Korean companies, including Samsung, into donating nearly $70 million to her foundation.

According to VOV