Impeached South Korean president Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday on charges including bribery, extortion, and abuse of power.
Seoul Central District Court Judge Kang Bu-young issued a warrant for her arrest at 3 a.m. this morning, warning that Park might “destroy evidence” if she was left free.
Soon after, Park was led from the prosecutor’s office to a jail outside Seoul, where she’s expected to remain through her trial.
Hours earlier, hundreds of her supporters cried and screamed as her motorcade pulled out of her south Seoul home to a hearing at the Central District Court.
Park becomes the first South Korean leader to be placed behind bars since former military dictators Roh Tae Woo and Chun Doo Hwan were imprisoned on corruption and mutiny charges in the mid-1990s.
The arrest comes after Park was accused of conspiring with Choi Soon-sil to collect tens of millions of dollars from big businesses like Samsung.
Park was formally removed from office on Mar. 10 and retreated to her personal home to await further developments.
[Story developing]
