SEOUL -- The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former President Park Geun-hye's lifelong friend Choi Soon-sil to 20 years in prison on Tuesday for abuse of power and extorting tens of billions of won from conglomerates, increasing the odds that Park will receive a similar punishment.
Lotte Holdings Chairman Shin Dong-bin also received two years and six months in jail for paying 7 billion won ($6.4 million at the current exchange rate) in bribes to Choi, seeking her influence in obtaining a license to operate a duty-free shop in the company's Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul. Shin was arrested at the court.
