And a local court is to deliver its verdict on the woman at the heart of the corruption scandal that toppled the former Park Geun-hye administration.<br /> The Seoul Central District Court will rule this afternoon on Choi Soon-sil,... the former president's longtime confidante,... on around 20 charges,... including abuse of power, coercion and bribery. <br />Choi was indicted in November 2016,... and has been under detention for forcing some 50 conglomerates to pay a combined 71 million dollars to nonprofit foundations she allegedly controlled. <br />She's also accused of meddling in various state affairs,... though she held no official position or authority in the former government.<br />The court's verdict is expected to affect the sentencing of Park,.. slated for late next month.<br />Park has been refusing to show up in court, saying she's being made a target of "political revenge." <br />
