The prosecution on Monday demanded eight years in prison for Woo Byung-woo, a key former aide to ousted President Park Geun-hye, for dereliction of duty, abuse of power and perjury. The court is expected to rule on Feb. 14, before the Lunar New Year holiday.

At the final hearing of the nine-month trial at the Seoul Central District Court, a special counsel and state prosecutors asked the court to sentence Woo, 50, to eight years in prison, saying he had abused his power as a presidential aide.

“Woo used his authority to intervene in personnel appointments and neglected his duty to investigate wrongdoings. He abused his power for personal reasons, disrupting an inspector from conducting an investigation against him,” a prosecutor said. “But he did not take responsibility. He shows no signs of remorse for his wrongdoings, and is shifting all the blame to the former president and junior workers.”

Woo, who served as the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, was indicted in April last year for pressuring the culture minister to demote seven ministry officials for acting against the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae regarding the sponsoring of equestrian games to benefit the training of Choi Soon-sil’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra.

Prosecutors also said he had neglected his duty and approved the establishment of two foundations allegedly controlled by Choi, a confidante of Park.

Woo is currently under investigation on several other charges as well, with all of them related to the massive corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park.

The prosecution is also looking into a case in which Woo was allegedly involved in drawing up a blacklist of liberal cultural figures considered critical of Park and her policies, and implementing measures to discriminate against them, such as in doling out state funding.

Woo had been on trial without detention until the court accepted the prosecution’s third request for detention in December.

Another trial begins for Woo on Tuesday on allegations that he ordered the nation’s spy agency to conduct illegal surveillance on public officials and civilians.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)