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| South Korea scandal: President Park's friend Choi detained | South Korea scandal: President Park's friend Choi detained |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The woman at the centre of a political scandal threatening the position of South Korea's president has been detained. | The woman at the centre of a political scandal threatening the position of South Korea's president has been detained. |
| Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of President Park Geun-hye, is accused of influence peddling and interfering in state affairs. | Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of President Park Geun-hye, is accused of influence peddling and interfering in state affairs. |
| She was interrogated on Monday after apologising for an "unpardonable crime". | She was interrogated on Monday after apologising for an "unpardonable crime". |
| Prosecutors have 48 hours to decide if they will formally arrest Ms Choi. | Prosecutors have 48 hours to decide if they will formally arrest Ms Choi. |
| She was placed under emergency detention late on Monday with prosecutors saying they feared she may destroy evidence and was at flight risk, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. | She was placed under emergency detention late on Monday with prosecutors saying they feared she may destroy evidence and was at flight risk, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. |
| "She has fled overseas in the past, and she doesn't have a permanent address in Korea, making her a flight risk," a prosecution official told Yonhap. "She is also in an extremely unstable psychological state." | |
| On Tuesday morning, a construction vehicle was driven into the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' office, injuring a security guard and destroying facilities. | |
| The 45-year-old man said he committed the crime to "help Chi Soon-sil die", after Ms Choi had on Monday told reporters that she "committed a sin that deserves death", when she was on her way to meet prosecutors. | |
| Last week, Ms Park publicly apologised, admitting "certain documents" had been shared with Ms Choi and she had been allowed to edit political speeches. | |
| That did little to suppress public anger and about 8,000 people protested on Saturday, some calling for Ms Park's resignation. | |
| Ms Choi is the daughter of shadowy religious cult leader, Choi Tae-min, who was Ms Park's mentor until his death in 1994. | Ms Choi is the daughter of shadowy religious cult leader, Choi Tae-min, who was Ms Park's mentor until his death in 1994. |