Chung Sung-jun/ Reuters
A South Korean court found former president Park Geun-hye guilty of bribery on Friday in a scandal that exposed webs of corruption between political leaders and the country's conglomerates.
The court ruled that Park colluded with her old friend, Choi Soon-sil, to receive tens of billions of won from major conglomerates such as Samsung and Lotte to help Choi's family and fund non-profit foundations owned by her.
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Park, 66, has denied wrongdoing and was not present in court.
Prosecutors are seeking a 30-year sentence and a 118.5-billion won ($112-million) fine for Park, after indicting her on charges that included bribery, abuse of power and coercion.