A local court is set to hear from prosecutors today on how long they think ousted former president Park Geun-hye should spend behind bars.
Let's get a brief run-down of the story so far from our Park Soyun.
It all began in October 2016 with a tablet PC discovered by local TV news channel JTBC.
The device, containing over 200 presidential documents was the smoking gun that sparked one of the biggest -- if not THE biggest scandal -- in Korea's modern history.
The tablet, later found to be owned by Choi Soon-sil,... a longtime friend of former president Park Geun-hye,.. proved alleged outside interference in state affairs.
And on October 25th, the day after the news report,... then-President Park Geun-hye,... made a public apology.
The investigation kicks in fast,... and just days later,.. state prosecutors arrest the close friend of the former president on charges of meddling state affairs, while holding no government post.
The investigative team led by Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo launches with the approval of the government.
At the National Assembly,.. lawmakers vote to impeach the president,.. taking up calls by hundreds of thousands of Koreans who would gather for candlelight vigils every Saturday evening in central Seoul.
And on March 15th, 2017,... special prosecutors said Park, who had her impeachment confirmed by the Constitutional Court,.... would be summoned for questioning on the influence-peddling scandal.
The justice office approved Park's pre-trial detention shortly before dawn of March 31st,... and she began her time behind bars.
And on May 23rd, the trial of South Korea's first female president begins.
Her charges,... 18 of them,.. including bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets.
It wasn't an easy road,... with unexpected hiccups along the way.
The jailed former president had refused to attend hearings on multiple occasions, citing poor health, and her defense team quit en masse, when Park condemned the trial as "political revenge."
And today,... the trial comes to a close after nine long months, and the eyes of a nation will be watching to see what kind of punishment prosecutors demand.
Park So-yun, Arirang News.
