Shin Dong-Bin, the head of South Korea's retail powerhouse Lotte was charged with bribery on Monday after he allegedly offered seven billion won (5.79 million euros, $6.15 million) to a sports foundation linked to a close aide of former president Park Geun-Hye.
Park was also charged with abuse of power and coercion by pressuring big businesses to contribute funds to non-profit foundations.
Prosecutors had questioned Park five times over the allegations since she was arrested on March 31, but she reportedly had denied all charges levied against her.
Lotte, South Korea's fifth-biggest conglomerate, is grappling with the Chinese shutdown of dozens of its stores in China after it agreed to provide land for the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system outside Seoul. Park will remain in a Seoul prison and will be transported to and from the Seoul Central District Court [official website] for the entirety of her trial. That added charges of accepting bribes against Park and Choi and offering or paying bribes against Samsung Group and other business groups.
Park is Korea's third president to stand trial on charges of bribery, though Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were convicted in 1995, were swiftly pardoned by their successor Kim Young-sam.
Former President Park Geun-hye was indicted Monday for alleged crimes committed during her failed presidency, including accepting bribes from the country's largest conglomerates.
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Yonhap said prosecutors suspect the ex-president promised favors in return for the bids for business projects.
The indictment covers multiple charges, including abuse of power, extortion, bribery and leaking state secrets.
The scandal sent her once-bulletproof approval ratings to record lows with millions taking to the streets for months calling for her ouster, though she also had a loyal following from groups of mainly older rival protesters. Both Samsung and Lotte deny wrongdoing. Last month the impeached former head of state was accused of bribery and other criminal charges.
Park is the daughter of the late dictator Park Chung-hee, one of the most divisive figures in South Korean history.
The National Assembly voted late previous year to impeach her on charges of bribery, extortion and abuse of power.
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