Asia

Former South Korean President Sentenced To 24 Years In Prison

Park Geun-hye was ousted from office last year and arrested over a corruption scandal.

Former South Korean President Sentenced To 24 Years In Prison
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A South Korean court sentenced former President Park Geun-hye to 24 years in prison Friday.

Park was ousted from office last year and arrested over a corruption scandal. She and her confidant, Choi Soon-sil, were accused of extorting money from companies in return for political favors.

On Friday, the court found Park guilty of more than a dozen charges, including bribery, coercion and abuse of power.

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Park, who's been boycotting court sessions since October, was also fined almost $17 million. She has one week to file an appeal. 

Choi was previously sentenced to 20 years in jail and a similar fine for her role in the corruption scandal.

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.