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Politics

South Korea ex-President Park freed after nearly 5 years in prison

Pardon fuels debate on whether she will play any role ahead of presidential election

South Korean ousted President Park Geun-hye in 2017.    © Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) -- Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was released from prison on Friday nearly five years after being convicted of corruption, fuelling debate over whether she would play any role ahead of a March presidential election.

Park, 69, was the country's first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office when the Constitutional Court upheld a parliament vote in 2017 to impeach her over a scandal that also led to the imprisonment of the chiefs of two conglomerates, Samsung and Lotte.

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