[ti:S. Koreans Look Ahead After Removal, Arrest of Former President+++朴槿惠下台并被捕 韩国大选在即] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:02.00]South Koreans are thinking about electing the country's next leader [00:09.04]after the arrest of former President Park Geun-hye. [00:15.56]Park is the first democratically elected president [00:20.02]of South Korea to be ousted from office. [00:25.60]She was sent to jail early Friday. [00:29.84]Her detention began after a court approved a warrant calling for her arrest. [00:37.32]She is accused of bribery, extortion and abuse of power. [00:44.23]The charges against Park are linked [00:47.74]to the series of events that forced her from office. [00:52.56]Government lawyers believe that Park and a longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, [01:01.04]pressured businesses to make donations to two organizations they controlled. [01:09.12]They say South Korean companies gave over $69 million to the two groups. [01:18.08]South Koreans were divided for months [01:21.89]as lawmakers considered the case against the president. [01:27.48]Park's opponents held large protests calling for her ouster or resignation. [01:36.16]Her supporters organized demonstrations to try to keep her in office. [01:43.88]But in Seoul on Friday, no one celebrated Park's arrest, [01:50.00]and there were no angry groups of Park supporters demanding her release. [01:56.52]A pro-Park gathering is expected this weekend, but her party, [02:02.32]the Liberty Korea Party, seems to want to distance itself from its former leader. [02:10.88]In a statement, the party's spokesman called Park's arrest "regrettable." [02:17.16]He said "We hope such a painful history of arrest of a former president [02:24.24]will not repeat itself in South Korea." [02:28.48]An election for a new president will take place on May 9th. [02:34.36]After Park's removal from office, [02:37.56]many South Koreans have seemingly turned against conservative politicians. [02:44.64]They blamed Park's policies for increasing tensions with China [02:50.20]and with North Korea over its weapons program. [02:54.60]Chinese officials are angry about Park's decision [02:59.20]to accept an American anti-missile system. [03:03.56]The Liberty Korea Party has been struggling [03:06.97]to find a strong candidate for president. [03:10.88]South Gyeongsang Province Governor Hong Joon-pyo [03:14.91]is said to be a leading candidate. [03:18.44]But his public approval rating [03:20.89]in a recent Gallup Organization survey was just four percent. [03:26.88]The Bareun Party was once part of the Liberty Korea Party. [03:32.40]In a statement, Bareun said it respects the Supreme Court's decision against Park. [03:39.60]But the party questioned whether her arrest was necessary. [03:44.68]It said the arrest harmed efforts to heal divisions within the country. [03:51.04]Yoo Seung Min -- the Bareun party's candidate for president [03:55.64]-- has a two percent approval rating in the Gallup opinion poll. [04:01.36]The liberal Democratic Party of Korea [04:05.16]had called Park's removal from office a triumph of democracy. [04:12.44]It also called her arrest a victory for the rule of law. [04:18.92]The party's spokesman said "Considering the fairness of law and principles, [04:26.40]the arrest of former President Park is an obvious conclusion." [04:33.20]Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in [04:37.02]has a 31 percent approval rating in the latest poll. [04:43.44]That is more than any candidate for president. [04:48.16]Ahn Cheol-soo – the leading candidate for the centrist People's Party [04:54.48]-- has a 19 percent approval rating in the poll. [04:59.25]In a statement, Ahn said Park's arrest, [05:03.56]"is of her own making because she repeatedly [05:07.84]gave false explanations without expressing apologies or regrets." [05:15.84]Park says she is innocent. [05:19.04]She has yet to talk publicly about the charges. [05:24.04]But after agreeing to cooperate with the government, [05:28.56]she was questioned by investigators for 14 hours. [05:34.08]Park can be held in prison for up to 20 days while she is being investigated. [05:41.92]During this time, she must be charged or released. [05:46.72]Her lawyers say she will not leave the country. [05:52.00]But the Seoul Central District Court judge in charge of the case [05:57.24]ordered her arrest, possibly concerned that she might destroy evidence. [06:04.04]Park could be sent to prison for 10 years on charges of accepting bribes [06:11.00]from heads of large South Korean companies in exchange for favors. [06:17.64]The business chiefs include Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee. [06:23.96]He denies charges that he provided bribes in exchange for special treatment. [06:31.08]I'm John Russell. [06:33.00]And I'm Caty Weaver. [06:34.92]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM