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TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction - Overview of Park Geun-Hye’s Corruption Allegation -Purpose of the Case Study Biography Of Park Geun Hye -Background information on Park Geun Hye -Park Geun Hye's rise to power Historical and Political Context -South Korean Political Landscape - Key Policies and Initiatives during Park Geun-Hye Presidency Corruption Allegations - Introduction to the Corruption Allegations - Key Figures and Entities Involved -Timeline of the events - Media and Public Perception Investigation And Legal Proceedings -Government Response to the Allegations - Investigative Bodies and Their Findings - Legal Proceedings and Court Trials Impact On South Korea -Political Consequences -Social and Public Reactions -Economic Repercussions -Implications for South Korea's global image Lessons Learned - Implications for the Fight Against Corruption - Reforms and Changes in South Korea's Political Landscape -International Perspectives and Cooperation Conclusion References
INTRODUCTION 01 Overview of Park Geun-Hye’s Corruption Allegation Purposes In 2016, the first president of South Korea, Park Geun Hye, was involved in a massive corruption scandal that rocked South Korea. The allegations centred on her relationship with her close friend, Choi Soon Sil. The outcome of the case has led to dismissal and imprisonment. The case is about how close Park Geun Hye and Choi Soon Sil are to each other. People say that Choi Soon Sil is meddling in state business even though she does not work for the government because she is close to the president. Another charge against Park Geun-Hye is that she abused her presidential power. It wasn't right for her to have such an improper impact on policy choices or give Choi Soon-Sil secret government documents. Choi Soon-Sil is also being charged with theft because she took money from other people while she was in charge. Companies in South Korea, called "chaebols," such as Samsung, SK, and Lotte, have been asked to provide an enormous amount of money to two groups she runs. However, Park Geun Hye's case is still an important part of South Korean history, even though she is still blameless. This event also taught us how important it is to fight graft in the government. The case study is aimed at increasing knowledge about what is said to be cheating. This can help people understand how complicated charges of corruption are, how important it is to be open, and how important it is for citizens to be involved in efforts to fight corruption. It can also look at what might happen after a political scandal and how that might affect democracy systems.
Background information on Park Geun Hye Park Geun Hye was born in Daegu, South Korea, on February 2, 1952. She was born into a family with a long history in Korean politics. She is President Park Chung Hee's oldest daughter. Park Chung Hee, her father, is one of South Korea's most talked-about leaders. In a military coup, he got rid of Syngman Rhee and was president of South Korea from 1963 to 1979. When Park Chung Hee was in charge, South Korea became industrialised and its economy grew very quickly. People in Korea still believe that Park Chung Hee was a tyrant, though. Before she turned 22, Park Geun Hye's life wasn't that different from other girls'. Even though Park Geun Hye is the daughter of the President of South Korea, she didn't have a lot of nice things because she was raised very strictly (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). ~BIOGRAPHY~ Park Geun Hye's early life was filled with tragedy. On 15 August 1974, during a commemoration event, Park Chung Hee’s wife Yook Young Soo was shot and killed by North Korean Mun Se Gwang. Park Geun Hye lost her mother in that incident. She urgently interrupted her studies in France and returned to Korea at that time. From then on, Park Geun Hye began to act as the "First Lady" in Korea. She was involved in various social and diplomatic responsibilities and won the favour of the Korean people. She slowly became more and more involved in her father's political activities and started to show her style in politics. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018) Park Geun Hye Park Chung Hee (Father) Yook Young Soo (Mother) The head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) killed Park Chung Hee on October 26, 1979. This incident has brought violent political turmoil. After the death of Park Chung Hee, Park Geun Hye chose to stay away from politics and withdrew from public life. The death of her father has a huge effect on Park Geun-hye. Unknown spots appeared on her body and no doctor could diagnose them. Park Geun Hye mentioned that pain is a human attribute, it can prove that people are still alive in her diary in 1981. She gave up marriage due to the special circumstances of her family. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018)
As the daughter of Park Chung Hee, perhaps politics is Park Geun Hye’s destiny. She said that she has no parents, no husband, no children. The country is the only one she hopes to serve. In the late 1990s, South Korea experienced a financial crisis. People started to think about the rapid development of the Park Chung Hee era. At this time, Park Geun Hye returned to the public eye. She initially entered politics as a member of the opposition party and represented the conservative Grand National Party. In 2004, Park Geun Hye became the president of the Grand National Party. During the local elections in May 2006, Park Geun Hye was attacked by an unknown man with a stationery knife and the right side of her face was cut. After this incident, the Korean media began to call Park Geun Hye as the woman who married South Korea. (Press, 2006) RISETO POWER On 19 December 2012, Park Geun Hye successfully won the 18th presidential election in South Korea. She is the first female president in South Korea's history. Park Geun Hye's presidency faces many challenges. On 16 April 2014, a major shipwreck occurred in South Korea, the sinking of the South Korean "Sewol". This accident caused a total of 304 deaths and the majority were middle school students. In this incident, the South Korean government exposed problems such as bureaucracy, concealment of facts and shirk of responsibility. After this accident, Park Geun Hye, the president of South Korea, did not respond in time and mysteriously disappeared for seven hours. This has brought great doubt to Park Geun Hye's ability to govern a country. She lost the trust of the people (Lee, 2018). won the 18th presidential election knife attack on Park Geun Hye
The 2016 Korean political scandal, also known as the Park Geun Hye and Choi Soon Sil Gate, was the event that led to the downfall of Park Geun Hye's political career. Choi Soon Sil has no formal government power, but she used Park Geun Hye's authority to arrange for her daughter to enter South Korea's Ewha Womans University. This incident has attracted great attention in South Korea. After South Korea's prosecutor's office intervened in this incident, they discovered that Choi Soon Sil not only used Park Geun Hye's authority but was also involved in many government decisions. She used the name of the presidential office to blackmail various Korean companies. Korean companies such as Samsung, Lotte and Hyundai Motor need to “donate” large amounts of cash to Choi Soon Sil. Even Park Geun Hye's speeches were drafted by Choi Soon Sil. Park Geun Hye is like a puppet to Choi Soon Sil. To put it simply, the “surface” president of South Korea is Park Geun Hye, but the "actual” president is Choi Soon Sil (BBC News, 2018). This incident led to the end of Park Geun Hye's political career and brought the impeachment case of Park Geun Hye. END OF POLITICAL CAREER the sinking of the South Korean "Sewol" the Park Geun Hye and Choi Soon Sil Gate the impeachment case of Park Geun Hye
. South Korean Political Landscape According to International Credit Agricole Group ( 2023 ), the political environment in South Korea is energetic and multifaceted, with a mix of conventional and modern political education. Since 1948, the law framework of the country has experienced different shifts, such as the military and dictatorship, until it settled within the 1990s. Under the authority of President Moon Jae-in, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has ruled the nation since 2017. A centre-left party, the DPK underpins financial changes as well as social welfare programs. The United Future Party (UFP), formerly known as The People Power Party ,is the opposition party. It contains a history of dictatorship and inclines towards preservationist values. The authoritative department of government has a 300- member National Gathering, which is chosen by a corresponding representation framework. Since it is autonomous, the law has been pivotal in making untrustworthy authorities liable. Moreover, the economy of South Korea is intensely centred on economical trades and advancement. The country has international relations with major powers like China, Japan, and the United States as a result of its geopolitical position as a vital player in East Asia. Tourism and mainstream entertainment, like Korean dramas and pop culture, are South Korea's two main sources of economic power. Historical and Political Context Moreover, South Korea has gotten to be a pioneer in combating climate change and progressing economical advancement in later a long time. The nation's reaction to the COVID-19 widespread has gotten appreciation for its capacity to control the virus's spread while causing the slightest sum of financial hardship. In general , the political scene of South Korea is characterised by a devotion to popular government, financial development, and soundness inside the locale, whereas at the same time tending to issues like populace maturing, disparity, and geopolitical pressures.
During her time as president, Park Geun Hye has proposed a few alternatives. The progression of renewable vitality sources was also given best by Park's organisation, which aimed to raise the extent of renewables within the nation's vitality blend to 20% by 2030. This technique has supported South Korea's endeavours to battle climate change and reduced the nation's dependence on imported fossil fuels. Furthermore, an assortment of social welfare activities, counting raising the minimum wage and expanding healthcare scope, were carried out by Park's organisation. The objectives of these activities were to decrease pay difference and increment low-income families' social mobility. According to Korea Joongang Daily ( 2023 ) , the living costs in South Korea have risen swiftly . For example, starting on February 1 2023 , the base fare for taxis in Seoul will rise by 1,000 won to 4,800 won ($3.9). To sum it up, Stop Geun-Hye's administration was checked by an accentuation on social welfare, financial development, and advancement, with a centre on highlighting South Korea's administration in renewable vitality and innovation. Key Policies and Initiatives during Park Geun-HyePresidency
Corruption Allegations A lot of major charges were brought against Park Geun-Hye, the former President of South Korea, in the case of corruption. People lost faith in the government at all levels ("Park Geun-Hye: South Korea's Ex-Leader Jailed for 24 Years for Corruption," 2018). Influence selling, theft, abuse of power, and favouritism were the four main charges. The first accusation was influence peddling. It means using your power in government or links with people in power to get favours or special treatment for someone else, usually in exchange for money. People said that Park Geun-Hye gave her close friend Choi Soon-sil too much power over state business, even though Choi Soon-sil didn't have a job with the government. Other than that, Choi Soon-sil was charged with embezzlement because she used her relationship with President Park Geun-Hye to steal money. She was charged with forcing big South Korean companies like Samsung and Lotte to give her large amounts of money. It is said that these funds were sent to foundations and organisations managed by Choi, which is not what they were meant to do (“Park Geun-Hye: South Korea’s Ex-Leader Jailed for 24 Years for Corruption,” 2018). This made people worry about using company resources for personal gain, and it brought up the idea of corruption where government and business interests meet. Choi is said to have manipulated government policies and taken part in important decision-making processes as part of this influence trading (Haas, 2018). This news seriously hurt the idea of open government and made people wonder about the honesty of the people making decisions in the administration.
The accusations of abuse of power were mostly about how President Park Geun-Hye was said to have abused her presidential power . People said she helped Choi Soon-sil get money from big businesses, which gave the impression that the government was forcing Choi to do things and showing favouritism (Haas, 2018). The charges of abuse of power brought to light a breach of public trust and the high standards of ethics that people expect from the top office in the land. There were also claims of cronyism in the case, especially when it came to high-level government positions. Cronyism means favouring only friends and companions for every job, and patronage means that the party in power only puts their friends and family in high roles and not lower ones. It was said that Choi Soon-sil had a hand in choosing important government officials and advisors (Hahm & Heo, 2017). This made people worry about how fair and unbiased the administration's decision-making processes were. These accusations, which were made public by investigative journalism, were a major cause of widespread public outrage, large-scale protests, and eventually Park Geun-Hye's impeachment, removal from office, and subsequent legal proceedings (South Korea Pardons Jailed Former President Park Geun-Hye, 2021). In high-level politics, keeping openness, responsibility, and moral leadership are hard things to do. This case shows how hard it can be.
KEY FIGURES AND ENTITIES INVOLVED Choi Soon-sil, who has been Park Geun-Hye's friend and confidante for a long time, was a key figure in the graft claims (Haas, 2018). She was accused of taking advantage of her personal relationship with the President to make money by working as an unpaid adviser and having too much power over government business. Choi Soon-sil was accused of stealing money and using his power to get other people to do what he wanted, especially when he tried to get money from big South Korean companies (Hahm & Heo, 2017). The corruption claims were based on these important people and groups and how their relationships and claimed illegal activities were linked (South Korea Pardons Jailed Former President Park Geun-Hye, 2021). When the truth about what they did came out, it caused a lot of anger, protests, and judicial problems that changed the course of South Korean political history. In the corruption case involving Park Geun-Hye, the former President of South Korea, important people and groups were at the centre of the accusations, and their roles were very important in the story as it grew. In the middle of the trouble was Park Geun-Hye, who was President at the time of the claims (“Park Geun-Hye: South Korea’s Ex-Leader Jailed for 24 Years for Corruption,” 2018). She was accused of giving her close friend Choi Soon-sil too much power over state business, which led to charges of power abuse, influence selling, and theft. Thanks to her close ties to Choi Soon-sil, Park Geun-Hye found herself at the centre of probes, and what she did as president was closely watched. Samsung and Lotte, two of the biggest companies in South Korea, were linked to the corruption scam. Some people said that these companies gave large amounts of money to Choi Soon-sil-connected groups and foundations in exchange for business and political favours. Corporate leaders from these big companies were found guilty in the scandal and given jail terms (Hahm & Heo, 2017).
The Choi Soon-sil scandal was the catalyst for her presidency's demise. Despite holding no formal government post, Choi, Park's close friend, was discovered to have substantial influence over the president. According to reports, Choi acquired secret materials and utilised her friendship with Park for personal advantage, including extorting money from large corporations. This controversy sparked enormous protests throughout South Korea, with millions calling for Park's resignation. In December 2016, the National Assembly impeached her, accusing her of constitutional and criminal crimes. As a result, she was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in March 2017, which ended her term and began legal procedures against her. A lot of people watched the news when Park Geun-hye was arrested and during her trials. She was charged with taking bribes, abusing her power, forcing people to do things, and leaking government secrets. The trials of her showed a web of corruption and cooperation between South Korea's ruling class and private companies, which made the public very angry. TIMELINE OF THEEVENTS TIMELINE OF THEEVENTS Due to her political history, Park Geun-hye's administration was initially met with great hopes. She was the daughter of Park Chung-hee, a former South Korean president noted for his authoritarian leadership but also credited with encouraging the country's fast economic development. However, Park Geun-hye's administration was marred by severe obstacles and scandals. The Sewol ferry catastrophe in April 2014 was a terrible occurrence that had a significant influence on her government. The public's fury and condemnation of the government's handling of the catastrophe, particularly the rescue operations and apparent incompetence, had a considerable impact on Park Geun-hye's popularity. The Sewol ferry sank, killing 304 people, the majority of whom were school children.The toll is ascribed to the Park government's reluctance to respond fast. (Park, 2019) Park was found guilty of many crimes in April 2018 and given a 24- year prison sentence. Her term was cut to 20 years after the Supreme Court ordered a new trial in January 2021. The case has important political effects on South Korea because it shows worries about the balance of power between political leaders and powerful non- government people, as well as about corruption and responsibility. It also led to talks about updating the country's government and judicial systems so that things like this don't happen again. A significant development in South Korean politics is still the Park Geun-hye issue.
Media and Public Perception A network of corruption and influence-peddling at the highest levels of authority was exposed by the Park Geun-hye scandal, which rocked South Korea. The media dutifully described the complex connections between Park and Choi Soon-sil, emphasising Choi's unapproved participation in governmental matters. According to a number of news outlets, Choi possessed access to private government records and data and his use of this link for personal benefit. (Lee, 2018) Massive demonstrations that repeated calls for accountability and structural reform were the result of this revelation, which stoked widespread public ire and disappointment. There were heated discussions over the unbridled power that people in positions of authority wielded after the scandal shattered public confidence in political leadership and institutions. It prompted journalists to pause and consider their profession's ethical principles as well as their duty to report politics impartially. The dispute concerned a more open, responsible, and ethically sound political system than just one leader's slide from grace. This argument has a deeper impact on society than just temporary fixes. Then, through involvement in politics, people began having a direct impact on the future of their country. Many people felt that Park Geun-hye was corrupted, and the story led to a bigger movement against it. Big changes need to be made to how things are done. A lot of discussion was made about how important it is for people to help keep democracy groups strong.
There were serious claims that Park Geun-Hye was dishonest and abused her power, and the government spoke out against them. A lot of investigation teams were sent to look into the claims that Park Geun-hye was crooked. The office of the special prosecutor was one of them. With Choi Soon-sil, who used to be her close friend, there was a web of greed and power between them.In December 2016, the government asked the National Assembly to move up Park Geun-hye's charges. In March 2017, the Court agreed. She was later found guilty of taking bribes, abusing her power, and forcing people to do what she wanted. This made the government feel like it had to clean up crime at the top levels of the government. The South Korean government really wanted to keep the court system clean, and this case proved it. It also made a strong point about people who try to make things worse for the government. It was clear from the answer that the person was very committed to being honest, taking responsibility, and defending the political process. People in South Korea worked hard to trust the government again so that they would keep trusting them. InvestigationAnd Legal Proceedings
Investigative Bodies and Their Findings Police in South Korea's biggest cities and towns looked into claims that Park Geun-hye was dishonest and used her power unfairly. Someone was put in charge of a special prosecutor's office to look into the claims against the former president in more detail. This office played a big role in this project. A lot of tough facts were uncovered about Park Geun-hye's friendship with Choi Soon-sil, her close partner. Fraud, theft, and trying to buy votes were also some of the claims that were looked into. The results showed that Park Geun-hye was corrupt in a lot of different ways. People said that big companies like Samsung had to take a lot of money from Choi Soon-sil's causes. People thought these gifts were bribes. Also, the investigations showed that Choi Soon-sil had a lot of power over the president because she was involved in making important decisions and had access to secret information.
The government responded based on these results. In December 2016, Park Geun-hye was officially removed from office when the National Assembly decided to charge her. In March 2017, the indigenous Court upheld this decision. Since there are court cases going on about bribes and fraud.
The court cases and legal proceedings regarding Park Geunhye, who used to be President of South Korea. After being kicked out of office in 2017, Park Geun-hye was charged with bribery, abuse of power, and coercion. The main point of these accusations was that she and Choi Soon-sil were involved in a wellknown plan to steal money. The court trial was held in the Central District Court of Seoul, furnishing a platform for the donation of evidence, witness testimonies, and legal arguments. In April 2018, Park Geunhye was found guilty on multiple charges, including bribery and abuse of power, and got sentenced to 24 years of prison life. After this trial South Korea judicial system says that their very commitment to upholding the the rule of law The legal proceedings against Park Geun- hye were a very important element in South Korean political history, demonstrating the nation's honesty and responsibility, indeed at the highest position of government. The trials emphasised the significance of holding individualities in positions of power responsible for acts of corruption or abuse, contributing to broader efforts to maintain the integrity of popular institutions in the country. Legal Proceedings and Court Trials
IMPACTONSOUTHKOREA POLITICALCONSEQUENCES First and foremost, Park Geun Hye case led to the political instability in South Korea. Herouster as president created huge public protests, with millions heading to the streets, demonstrating the populace's aversion to political corruption and misuse of power. In this context, on 25 October 2016 Park Geun Hye apologised publicly due to her action of asking a help from her friend, Choi Soon Sil regarding public relation issue such as throughout her president campaign in 2012 and following her swearing-in in 2013 but it was seen as insincere and fake, resulting in the first candlelight demonstration. It can be seen that almost 20000 people protested outside the Blue House. Next, the public uproar had increased to a thunderous roar of over 1 million protestors, As this led to the not overlooked by the South Korean National Assembly as well as a bill to impeach president Park was present (Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, 2018). Moving on, Park Geun Hye's controversy resulted in an election and a change in power. South Koreans need to re-elect for their 19th president that was held on May 9, following Park Geun hye's impeachment.This is due to the fact that elections that can be considered as special cases needs to be held within 60 days of removal. Some of the candidates included Moon Jae-in from Democratic Party, Hong Jun-pyo from Liberty Korea Party, Ahn Cheol-soo from People's Party, and many more.As a result from the election, Moon Jae In won most of the votes that lead to his win for the election. This incident made him the 19th South Korea President. Moon's triumph was predicted as people started to reject Park Geun Hye’s administration. Despite that, there are still some of the provinces which are Daegu and Kyungsang that are still supporting President Park. As a result, Moon Jae-In didn't manage to conquer those provinces but somehow Moon Jae-In still won other provinces along with important cities. He managed to receive 41% of the vote. As Park Geun-hye was no longer in office and an interim president was in charge of the government, Moon straight away straight away took over as president. This incident happened on 10 of May and he was sworn in by the National Assembly the same day (Uk Heo & Seongyi Yun, 2018). Finally, in terms of political significance, this case had an impact on political parties. Park Geun-hye's impeachment has far-reaching consequences for her political party, the Saenuri Party which after that was renamed as Liberty Korea Party. The scandal shattered the party and ruined public support for it. It struggled to distance itself from Park's soiled reputation, resulting in internal conflicts and a loss of respect among voters.According to The Straits Times (2017), South Korea's troubled ruling party has chosen its new name which is Liberal Korea Party that officially announced on Thursday, 9 February, as it strives to distinguish itself from a major corruption scandal. "We've agreed to change the party name to the Liberal Korea Party with an appeal that it will be formed anew." (Auto H, 2017)
SOCIAL&PUBLICREACTION Polarisation and societal divide were also brought up by the chaos following Park Geun-hye's impeachment. The splits resulted from different interpretations of the incident; one group criticised the misuse of power and corruption, while the other group continued to support Park Geun-hye, considering her positively due to personal ties or loyalty to her political beliefs.It is evident that the 20% of people who oppose the president's impeachment are mostly those in their 60s and older. Their point of view is that the investigation of the president, Park Geun Hye, is mostly based on gossip and unproven accusations (Nilsson-Wright, 2017). Also according to Nilsson-Wright (2017), Park Geun Hye supporters said, the campaign against Ms. Park is an attack on the achievements of Park Chung-hee, a father of President Park and also a dictator who brought the miraculous turnaround of the Han River, which quickly boosted the economy of South Korea to become the fourth-largest in Asia. In South Korea, the Park Geun-hye scandal prompted an unexpected wave of civic action and public engagement. Lots of Korean people assembled in candlelight protest demanded not just impeachment, but also fundamental transformation of society in response to concerns like poor development, disparities, an ageing population, and the threat of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (Kim, HoKi, 2016). Furthermore,some of South Koreans protest in Seoul in order to demand President Park Geun-hye's removal, as a crisis arose amid suspicions that a friend had excessive authority over her and interfered in state matters.Prosecutors are investigating presidential aides and other officials to see if they violated the law by allowing Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, to have excessive power and earn financially (Jack Kim, 2016). "It's become obvious the people made the wrong choice to vote for the wrong president," one protester stated (Jeong Hong-woo, 2016). The South Korean Park Geun-hye controversy highlighted the critical role that the media plays in exposing wrongdoing and maintaining information transparency. Investigative journalism has become an effective force for exposing the intricate layers of corruption and power abuse at the highest levels of government. Moon (2018) has emphasised in great detail how media outlets actively followed up on leads, carried out in-depth investigations, and discovered crucial information that was essential to the case. As a result, it is essential for journalist to show their integrity in order to prove the importance of free press. Thus public leader’s responsibility and political transparency may be maintained. Furthermore, the media’s role in reporting is not only regarding wrongdoing. But also about fostering a democratic process in which leaders are held responsible and individuals are empowered with important information. Both of these have significance in the democratic process. Last but not least, the case highlighted the need of media as monitor in order to ensure transparency and ethical governance in South Korea.
ECONOMICREPERCUSSIONS The corruption scandal, which engulfed the former President of Korea Park GeunHye, has an important impact on the economy. This issue has given rise to events leading to changes in the country's trajectory, which have provided a basis for introspection and institutional reform. The year 2016 brought global political change, and the last few months of that year were characterised by significant turmoil. Assembly on December 9th after weeks of mass protests. On December 9th, President Park Geun Hye was expelled from office by the South Korean parliament following weeks of public protests. On January 3, 2017 the first hearing for the trial was to be held.One of the main reasons for this indictment was Park's special relationship with Choi Soon Sil, a friend who had been accused of using her closeness to the Chairman in order to receive financial benefits. Despite having no official government position, Choi was able to influence policy choices and utilise presidential clearance to persuade some of the country's major family-owned corporations, known as chaebols, such as Samsung, to donate millions of dollars to her charities. The corruption paradigm has been extended in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand, where several huge businesses have built corrupt links with governments. These governments employ corporate donations to preserve political support and profit themselves. The indictment of Park and Choi generated enormous outrage across the country, prompting numerous inquiries. Some experts believe that indicting Park will benefit the country in the long run. Professor Choi Bae-Geun of Konkuk University's Department of Economics feels it might be a key step towards removing political risks from South Korea. According to Choi, pursuing the indictment would have meant that Park remained in power and that political threats would have persisted, burdening the country's economy. If the claim is proven, many Koreans will hope for greater transparency within the chaebol firms that operate in a commercial environment free of public scrutiny. During the protests, public fury was mostly directed against the chaebols, and the indictment may bring Lee Jae-Myung to power. He is willing to dismantle family businesses and limit their influence. Other variables, aside from Park's indictment, are expected to have an impact on South Korea's development prospects. For example, with the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates in December and expecting to do so again, the country's import-driven economy is under increasing strain. Exports account for over half of Korea's total GDP. With US rate hikes likely to strengthen the dollar and cause capital outflows from South Korean-dependent countries such as China and Latin America, the resultant reduction in import earnings might considerably harm the country's growth performance. According to Korea International Trade Association data, growing agribusiness accounts for 57.1 percent of Korea's entire import commerce between January and October.
South Korea's high minister, Hwang Kyo-Ahn, who was designated as acting chairman following the indictment vote in the public assembly, will remain in that party until the election. Moon Jae-in was elected South Korea's new president on May 9th, and his first executive order formed a committee to create employment and address structural inequalities. This was due to the fact that these factors, not North Korean missiles sparked the 2017 downtime revolution. Nonetheless, politicians and the media throughout the globe, particularly in the United States, are ready to frame his victory as a referendum on North Korea. If you Google " Korea," you'll discover a lot about ballistic missiles and militancy, but not much about what is maybe the most critical period in South Korean history. Following Moon's induction, transnational captions speculated on his likely "anti-Americanism" or "pro-North" leanings. He has attempted not to bite the hook, promising a "bold new vision" for peace in Korea as well as standing "shoulder to shoulder" with the US. The reality is that most South Koreans — particularly those in their twenties and thirties, who have among the highest youth emigration rates in any rich country — simply do not want to bear the fiscal burden of reuniting the two countries, and almost no bone is romantic enough to believe that both sides will lay down arms and grasp. The corruption scandal involving Park Geun-hye, South Korea's former President, has far-reaching consequences for the country's global image. Park was impeached and removed from office as a result of the scandal, which broke in 2016. The issue has also raised concerns about South Korea's political stability. This has harmed South Korea's international reputation. The issue was widely covered in international media, and the notion of corruption at the highest echelons of government could have harmed the country's reputation as a stable and transparent nation. Impeachment of a sitting president on corruption accusations raised concerns about the country's political system and governance. After President Park was removed from office, South Korean politics must get back on track and help rebuild Korean society. Millions of people held candlelight protests to demand not only impeachment but also fundamental change of society. They did this because they were worried about things like slow growth, inequality, an ageing society, and the threat of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. Most people think that inequality is the most important problem that needs to be fixed with big changes to the economy and society. South Korea has to choose a new president within 60 days. Many people are angry about how cheap things are and how much power the country's political and manufactured leaders have. The main news outlets all agree that voters will choose her replacement on May 9.
Implications for the Fight Against Corruption The case of Park Geun-hye had a profound impact on politics because it exposed the ways in which political figures might compromise accountability and transparency by abusing their powers for personal benefit. For instance, Park was charged with permitting Choi Soon-sil, a close friend, to have excessive influence over state operations, including choices about appointments and policies (Doucette, 2017). This demonstrates their disregard for their duties as an effective leader. This demonstrated how political systems are vulnerable to corruption when their leaders put their own interests ahead of the good of the people. In addition, the case generated a significant public uproar, demonstrating the importance of a proactive civil society in keeping authorities responsible. Millions of people took to the streets in South Korea in massive rallies to call for Park's resignation and voice their displeasure with governmental corruption (Euny, 2017, as reported in Doucette, 2017). This demonstrates how rotten the leaders are. This proved that citizens can be crucial in guaranteeing accountability and openness in government when they are mobilised. In addition, the media was essential in the case, particularly in the discovery and exposure of the corruption scandal through investigative journalism. Seo (2021) claims that extensive investigations by media organisations, including the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), exposed the full scope of Park's corruption. This demonstrates the critical role that the media plays. In addition to providing information to the public, the media's role involved exerting pressure on the government to combat corruption. This demonstrated how crucial a strong, independent media is to serving as a check on the authority of the government. LESSONSLEARNED Reforms and Changes in South Korea's Political Landscape Discussions regarding the necessity for a more independent judiciary to guarantee the fair and unbiased processing of corruption cases were sparked by the case. Park Geun-hye's impeachment was largely facilitated by the Korean Constitutional Court (Shin, 2020). As a result, people are worried. Nonetheless, questions were raised over the judiciary's possible susceptibility to political pressure. This sparked conversations about changes that would strengthen the judiciary's independence and guarantee that it is not subjected to excessive political influence. Furthermore, the controversy sparked demands for more political transparency and election changes. To stop future abuses of power, citizens and activists pushed for changes to the voting system (Shin, 2020). This is for the nation's better future. Enhancing the openness of political campaign financing, fortifying the processes for looking into and prosecuting cases of political corruption, and putting policies in place to make elected officials more accountable to the people were the main reforms. International Perspectives and Cooperation This case had far-reaching consequences that echoed around the world. To put it another way, the controversy had an impact on diplomatic ties and economic stability on a global scale. Foreign investors and trading partners became concerned as a result of South Korea's damaged reputation on the international scene (Carothers, 2020). Internationally, this damaged South Korea's reputation. The case showed that corruption in a nation's leadership may have a significant impact outside of its boundaries and affect how the world views that nation. As a result, Park Geun-hye's case highlighted how crucial international collaboration is in tackling problems related to transnational corruption. Cooperation with foreign governments and international bodies was necessary for the scandal inquiry (Van Marrewijk & Videsti, 2020). This demonstrates the necessity of international cooperation. Because corrupt practices sometimes include numerous jurisdictions, the case demonstrated the importance of coordinated measures to prevent corruption. This demonstrated how crucial it is to pool resources and information in order to hold people accountable for unethical behaviour that crossed international borders. All things considered, these highlight the complex effects of the Park Geun-hye case on the struggle against corruption, changes to the democratic system, and global viewpoints on the issue.
The first female president, Park Geun-Hye, was involved in a big corruption scandal during her term ruling in South Korea. Park Geun Hye had many cases related with her close relationship with Choi Soon-Sil. Choi Soon-Sil is a businesswoman mainly recognized for her involvement in the 2016 South Korean political scandal, which resulted from her influence over The female president. The female president was charged with several serious accusations. There are four primary accusations which are favouritism, embezzlement, power abuse and influence peddling. Park Geun-Hye faced allegations of influence peddling by giving Choi Soon Sil, her close relationship undue power over state affairs in exchange for money. This undermines the concept of open government, causing a lack of conviction about the integrity of decision -makers in the administration (Haas,2018). Besides, Choi Soon-Sil was charged with embezzlement for using her ties to President Park Geun-Hye to obtain money from large South Korean Companies like Samsung and Lotte. The funds were redirected to personal gain, sparking concerns about corruption at the nexus of government and business interest (Park Geun-Hye: South Korea’s Ex-Leader Jailed for 24 Years for Corruption, 2018) CONCLUSIONPresident Park Geun-Hye was faced with accusations of abusing her presidential power by allegedly helping Choi Soon-sil obtain money from big businesses. This raised concerns about government coercion, favouritism, and a breach of public trust (Haas, 2018). The last of the main four accusations is favouritism. Concerns regarding the fairness and impartiality of the administration's decision-making processes were raised by the cronyism allegations in the case, which claimed that Choi Soon-sil had a say in who was chosen to be a high-ranking official and advisor (Hahm & Heo, 2017).
In this case review, The Park Geun-Hye cases affected two parts of South Korea which are political consequences and social and public relations. The former president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, was involved in a case that caused political unrest and large-scale public demonstrations. Over a million people participated in the massive protest, which led to her impeachment and Moon Jae-in winning the special election. Park's political party, the Saenuri Party which subsequently changed its name to the Liberty Korea Party was severely damaged by the controversy, suffering from splits within the party and a decline in public support (Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, 2018). Disparities in society were brought about by Park Geun-hye's impeachment in Korea. Older people who supported it perceived it as an attack on her legacy with political motivations. Millions of people expressed their dissatisfaction beyond the scandal by taking part in civic action and demanding not only the impeachment of the current administration but also a more comprehensive social transformation to address a range of issues (Nilsson et al., 2017). ...
10 The cases about Park Geun-Hye give many lessons to the people. One of the lessons is the implications for the fight against corruption. After the abuse of power for personal gain made by Park Geun-Hye, there were a large amount of public protest and investigative journalism emphasised the crucial role of an engaged civil society and free media in demanding accountability and checking governmental power. Next, the reforms and changes in South Korea’s political landscape. The cases against Park Geun-hye led to talk about the need for a more independent court, especially when it comes to dealing with corruption cases. The Constitutional Court of Korea was very important in getting her dismissed (Shin, 2020). People called for changes because they were worried about how politics could affect the courts. To stop future power abuses, the story also led to calls for changes to the way people vote and for politics to be more open (Shin, 2020). Finally, it was made clear how important it is for nations to fight crime across borders. It proved how important it is to work together and share data across lines (Van Marrewijk & Viesti, 2020). Finally, Park Geun-hye has made a big change in South Korean politics and public life. She is the first woman to be president of South Korea. People need to stop being dishonest after reading this story if they want to make a good government.
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