S Korea ex-prez Park jailed for 24 years over graft

Members of a conservative civic group attend a protest to support ousted President Park Geun-hye outside a court in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday. REUTERS

South Korea's disgraced former president Park Geun-hye was jailed for 24 years on Friday for corruption, closing out a dramatic fall from grace for the country's first woman leader who became a figure of public fury and ridicule.

She was found guilty on charges of bribery, coercion and abuse of power, and ordered to pay a fine of 18 billion won ($17 million).

"The amount of bribery the accused received or demanded in collaboration with Choi amounts to more than 23 billion won," Judge Kim Se-Yoon said, referring to Park's secret confidante and long-time friend Choi Soon-sil.

"I sentence the accused to 24 years in prison and 18 billion won in fines."

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