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The scandal is centred on the close relationship between Ms Park and Ms Choi
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South Korea's President Park Geun-hye has become the country's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office.
That
dubious honour was imposed on her when, on 10 March, judges unanimously
upheld parliament's decision in December to impeach her over a
corruption scandal.
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Ms Choi has returned from abroad to face questioning
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That scandal, which has generated
huge protests, centres on her
relationship with an old friend, and has brought allegations of cult activities, influence-peddling and leaks of classified information.
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With no immediate family, President Park came to rely too much on her friend, critics claim
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What is the relationship at the heart of the scandal?
In
1974, Park Geun-hye's mother was killed by a North Korean spy who had
intended to kill Ms Park's father, then-military leader Park Chung-hee.
Ms Park, then aged 22, became a stand-in first lady for her widowed
father.
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Protesters have marched in vast numbers to demand Ms Park stands down
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It was then she got to know Choi Tae-min, a pseudo-Christian leader
who set up a cult called The Church of Eternal Life. He said he had been
visited by the soul of Ms Park's late mother who asked him to guide
her.
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Ms Park said she had "put too much faith" in her friendship with Ms Choi
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He became Ms Park's mentor, while also amassing considerable wealth and power. When
President Park senior was assassinated by his head of intelligence in
1979, there was speculation it was because the spy chief was worried the
president was being manipulated by the man dubbed "the Korean
Rasputin".
By this point Ms Park was firm friends with Mr Choi's
daughter, Choi Soon-sil. Their critics believe Ms Choi perpetuated her
father's habits.
Why has the friendship become problematic?
On
20 November, Ms Choi was charged with various offences, including abuse
of authority, coercion, attempted coercion and attempted fraud.
She is now on trial.
Few
claims have been off-limits in the media coverage, with some reports
going as far as suggesting the president is a puppet who hosted
shamanist rituals at the presidential compound. But many of the lurid claims are unsubstantiated.