South Korea’s Supreme Court also ordered a new trial for Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, who was convicted of offences including bribery and embezzlement in connection with the scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.
South Korea’s top court on Thursday sent back jailed ex-president Park Geun-hye’s corruption case to a lower court for separate trials for her previously convicted charges, a ruling that could increase her already-lengthy prison term.
South Korea’s first female president was impeached by lawmakers in December 2016 and officially removed from office in March 2017 over the scandal that triggered months of street rallies involving millions of people.
An appellate court earlier sentenced Park to 25 years in prison over bribery, extortion, abuse of power and other charges.
That was an extension of a 24-year prison term set by a district court.
But the Supreme Court ordered the Seoul High Court to deal with Park’s bribery charge separately from other charges.
Local media said Park could face a lengthier prison term because courts handling a case with multiple charges typically don’t impose all the maximum sentences for each charge.