S.Korean Rasputin's daughter arrested on a flight to Seoul

South Korean authorities on Wednesday arrested the daughter of Choi Soon-sil while she was on a plane heading to Seoul, media reports said.

This was after Chung Yoo-ra was extradited from Denmark on Tuesday for her connection with a corruption scandal involving her mother also known as the 'South Korean Rasputin', Yonhap news agency reported.

Choi is at the centre of a scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.

Chung was arrested by the South Korean Prosecutor's Office on a flight from Amsterdam which was due to arrive here later on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old woman, who was sought with an international arrest warrant for her alleged role in the scandal, was first arrested on January 1, in Aalborg by the Danish authorities, who approved her extradition to South Korea two month later.

The South Korean Prosecutor's Office was demanding that Chung be brought to justice for her role in the corruption scandal that led to the dismissal of Park a few months ago, Efe news said.

Seoul accuses Chung of having received preferential treatment in university and high school because of her mother's ties with the now-ousted President Park.

In addition, Chung's degree has been revoked on the grounds that her qualifications and attendance records were falsified.

The South Korean Prosecutor's Office has taken over the extradition proceedings since Tuesday, when Danish authorities gave Chung into their custody at Copenhagen airport.

After her arrival in Seoul, South Korean officials will take Chung to a detention centre for interrogation.

She will be quizzed on alleged preferential treatment in her academic records, funding for her private horse-riding courses and her family's funds, allegedly received from the extortion of large corporations.

Both Park and her close aide Choi, who did not hold any public office, are accused of extorting around $50 million from large companies in exchange for the government's favourable treatment, along with other charges.

--IANS

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