Park Geun-hye

Park Geun-hye, the 11th president of South Korea (2013–2017), was embroiled in a significant political scandal that led to her impeachment and removal from office. On December 9, 2016, she was impeached by the National Assembly due to allegations involving her aide, Choi Soon-sil, who was accused of wielding undue influence over state affairs and soliciting bribes from major corporations. The impeachment vote passed with 234 out of 300 members supporting it, surpassing the two-thirds requirement (Wikipedia). The Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment on March 10, 2017, officially removing her from office (Wikipedia). Following her removal, Park faced multiple legal proceedings. By January 2021, she was convicted on 16 charges out of 18 brought against her, including corruption, abuse of power, coercion, and bribery, and was sentenced to 24 years in prison with a fine exceeding $16 million. The charges stemmed from her involvement in a high-profile corruption case, which also implicated her close confidante, Choi Soon-sil, and several large corporations that allegedly paid bribes to secure favors (Yonhap News Agency; GlobalSecurity). Her legal troubles and convictions marked one of the most significant political scandals in South Korea’s recent history, highlighting issues of corruption and abuse of power at the highest levels of government.