Court Denies Arrest Request for Daughter of Impeached S Korean Leader's Adviser

The Seoul Central District Court rejected an arrest warrant for the daughter of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye's "shadow adviser" Choi Soon-sil involved in a corruption scandal, local media reported Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Yonhap news agency, the court ruled out that it was difficult to acknowledge the reason and the need for arrest of Chung Yoo-ra at this stage of investigation.

Chung was arrested on a plane to South Korea on Wednesday.

Choi's daughter has been in custody in Denmark since her arrest in early January on charges of illegal stay after South Korea nullified her passport.

In late March, the Danish Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled to extradite Chung to South Korea where she is wanted for an investigation into her role in the "shadow adviser" corruption scandal which led to Park's ouster from office. Following the ruling, Chung started an appeal process against the extradition decision.

South Korean authorities had requested Chung's extradition under the suspicion that she had received undue favors when entering the prestigious Seoul-based Ewha Womans University because of her mother's close ties to the former president. In December, a South Korean court issued a warrant to question Chung on allegations of business obstruction. In January, the South Korean Foreign Ministry annulled her passport in order to pressure her into returning from Denmark.

Choi herself is on trial over meddling in state affairs and extorting corporations, while former president Park was charged with bribery in late March.