Shui Sun-sil, close friend of South Korea's former president, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for corruption following the scandal that led to the sacking of Park Gyeon-hye.
Choi Sun-sill, who has become close to Park through her father, the mysterious religious figure, was insulted and denounced in the mass protests that rocked Asia's fourth-largest economy and led to the president being sacked last year.
The verdict is a possible indication of the upcoming decision in the Park trial, as 15 of the 18 charges against Shaw are similar to the charges against Park.
Judge Kim Se-yun said in front of a crowded hall that Shui took advantage of "long-term private relations" with Park Largum to donate money to institutions you supervised and used for her own gain.
"It has accepted 14 billion won ($ 13 million) from the giant telecommunications giant Samsung and Lotte in retail sales and has been involved in state affairs on a large scale," he said.
Choi did not have official status or security clearance, but the prosecution said it intervened on a number of official issues, including the appointment of members of the government and ambassadors and in the preparation of several letters to the park.
"In view of the material gains made by the accused, the great chaos in the state affairs caused by her crimes and the feeling of resentment of the people, the crime of the accused is very large," the judge said.
The judge said Choi showed no remorse for her actions, saying that "the defendant is sentenced to 20 years in prison."
Shui, who wore a blue coat with her number in prison, did not show any reaction at the verdict.
Shin Dong-bin, chairman of the board of directors of the Lotte Group, the fifth-largest company in South Korea, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
After the verdict, he was arrested at the hearing because he was released on bail during the trial period, and he smiled quietly when the verdict was announced as his legal team appeared to be agitated.
Ahn Jong-baiom, former assistant to President Park, was sentenced to six years in prison.
Choi was acquitted and said she never sought any personal gain but tried to help Park's work, and her lawyer Lee Kyung-jae said the defense would appeal.
"It is a very severe punishment that reaches the limits of brutality," he told reporters.
"We acknowledge that we have failed to convince the court judges that the defendant Shwe is not guilty, we will do everything in our power to obtain a different ruling in the Court of Appeal."
- Networks franchises -
The issue, one of the biggest scandals in South Korea's recent history, has stirred widespread discontent among South Koreans over the economic and social situation.
And revealed networks of concessions between elite companies and politicians and led to the placement of more than ten officials behind bars.
South Korea's economy is dominated by companies from well-known families called Shaibol, which have driven decades of economic prosperity but have long been linked to suspicious relations with the authorities.
Choi and Park conspired to make Lotte's chairman donate 7 billion won to a fund to build a sports center, in exchange for a government license for a duty-free shop.
But Samsung's successor, Lee Jae-young, was released from prison last week after an appeals court reduced his sentence to a suspended prison sentence, with conviction, to resume most of the bribery charges against him. His sentence was replaced by a suspended sentence.
He is the third generation of his family to benefit from a tolerant judicial treatment.
The court ruled Tuesday that the $ 3.65 billion won by Samsung for the purchase of horses and equine gear and another 3.6 billion won paid to a company controlled by Choi amounts to bribes.
The court confirmed there was no evidence of Samsung's request for government support for the administration's transfer to Lee Jae-young.
Park's trial was repeatedly postponed and its defense team withdrew in protest when the court decided to extend its detention and new charges were brought to the indictment.
The former president denies charges against her and has declined to appear before the court, saying she is the victim of "political revenge."
"The verdict on Tuesday carries" definitely bad news for Park Gyeon-hy "because of the similarities in the cases, said Gang Mun-Day of the activist group Lawyers for a Democratic Society.
"Park is likely to get a tougher penalty," he told AFP. "Maybe a prison sentence of up to 25 years."
