2016

Oct. 24: Cable channel JTBC unveils Park's confidante Choi Soon-sil's tablet PC indicating her meddling in state affairs.

Oct. 27: The prosecution forms a special investigation team.

Oct. 29: Citizens launch an anti-Park weekend rally. Park's aides reject prosecutors' search of the presidential office

Oct. 30: Choi is detained after returning home after weeks of apparently hiding in Europe.

Nov. 3: Choi is formally arrested.

Nov. 8: Prosecutors raid offices of Samsung Electronics Co. on suspicions of offering bribes to Choi and, in effect, to the president.

Nov. 20: Choi is indicted. Prosecutors name Park as a criminal suspect

Nov. 30: Prosecutor-turned-lawyer Park Young-soo is appointed the special counsel for the case.

Dec. 6: The National Assembly hearing begins on the corruption scandal.

Dec. 9: The National Assembly votes to impeach Park.

Dec. 21: The independent counsel launches its formal investigation.


2017

Jan. 3: The Constitutional Court holds its first hearing in the impeachment trial.

Feb. 17: Samsung's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong is arrested on bribery and embezzlement charges.

Feb. 28: The independent counsel team indicts 17 more suspects, including Samsung's Lee Jae-yong.

March 10: The Constitutional Court upholds the parliamentary impeachment of Park with a unanimous decision, immediately removing her from office.

March 21: Park is questioned by state prosecutors over the scandal for the first time.

March 31: A court issues a warrant for the arrest of Park. She is placed in custody at a detention center just south of Seoul.

April 17: Prosecutors indict Park on multiple charges, including bribery and abuse of power. Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin is also put on trial.

May 9: Moon Jae-in wins the election to become South Korea's 19th president.

May 23: A court begins the criminal trial of Park.

Aug. 25: Court sentences Samsung's Lee Jae-yong to five years in prison on bribery conviction.

Oct. 13: Court approves the prosecution's request to extend Park's detention.

Oct. 16: Park rejects the trial in protest at her treatment and the court's decision on extending her detention. Park's legal counsel resigns en masse.

Oct. 25: Court appoints five public defense attorneys for Park. 


2018

Feb. 5: Appellate court metes out a suspended prison term for Lee Jae-yong. Lee is released after a yearlong presentencing detention.

Feb. 13: Court sentences Choi to 20 years in jail and Lotte's Shin Dong-bin to 2 1/2 years in jail.

Feb. 27: Prosecutors demand a 30-year prison term and 118.5 billion won (US$112 million) in fines for Park.

April 3: Court decides to allow live broadcast of Park's sentencing trial.

April 6: Court sentences Park to 24 years in prison and 18 billion won in fine. (Yonhap)