(LEAD) Park faces corruption charges in 13 cases

(ATTN: UPDATES with reason behind prosecutors' seeking an arrest warrant)

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Former President Park Geun-hye is suspected of involvement in 13 different cases of bribery, coercion and abuse of power, according to prosecution officials.

Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Park on Monday but withheld the details of her charges. They previously announced that she was under probe in 13 criminal cases which also implicate her confidante and aides.

Prosecutors have charged Park with forcing conglomerates to donate to two foundations controlled by her close friend Choi Soon-sil and taking some of the money as bribes.

The allegations emerged in October, but Park was immune from criminal prosecution as a sitting president until her removal from office on March 10.

Prosecutors suspect Park colluded with Choi to force 53 local conglomerates, including Samsung and Lotte, to pay a total of 77.4 billion won (US$70 million) in "donations" to the Mir and K-Sports foundations.

An independent counsel later concluded that Samsung gave or promised some 43.4 billion won to Choi, and in effect to Park, as a bribe for business favors. Of the total, 20.4 billion won went to the two foundations.

The counsel also accused Park of creating and managing a blacklist of artists and cultural figures who were critical of her administration to ban them from state support.

In other cases of abuse of power and coercion, the counsel charged the former leader with pressuring a senior culture ministry official to resign over an unfavorable audit of the sports industry and three other ministry officials over their lukewarm execution of the blacklist. Park is also suspected of abusing her power to promote a bank official close to Choi.

Charges brought by the prosecution involved Park's alleged pressure on Hyundai Motor to sign a 1.1 billion won supply contract with a firm belonging to one of Choi's associates and a 7.1 billion won advertising deal with an advertising agency owned by Choi.

Prosecutors also charged Park with forcing a Lotte affiliate to pay an additional 7 billion won to K-Sports.

She is accused of forcing steelmaker POSCO to create a fencing team to be placed under the control of one of Choi's companies, pressuring telecoms firm KT to hire a PR official close to Choi, and pressuring KT to enter into a 6.8 billion won advertising deal with Choi's advertising agency.

The other charges involve Park's alleged order for the creation of a fencing team for the disabled, which Choi's sports management company could manage, her alleged pressure for the resignation of an executive of food and media conglomerate CJ, as well as her alleged leak of government secrets to Choi through longtime aide Jeong Ho-seong.

Park has denied any wrongdoing, saying the conglomerates donated voluntarily to the foundations in line with the government's policy to foster the cultural and sports sectors.

She has claimed no knowledge of the alleged deal with Samsung or the blacklist and insisted she received no requests for favors in personnel appointments.

Prosecutors said they sought the arrest warrant for Park due to concerns that she may try to flee or destroy evidence. They said they have collected numerous amounts of evidence against Park, but she has denied most of the charges.

hague@yna.co.kr
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