SKorea crisis proves perils of cheating at school

SEOUL: When South Korea’s Park Geun-Hye looks back on the scandal-fuelled implosion of her presidency, she may reflect ruefully on what lit the first fuse--a parent pulling strings over a child’s education.

Park’s downfall was the result of her friendship with Choi Soon-Sil--a secretive, longtime confidante who stands accused of meddling in state affairs, squeezing tens of millions of dollars from local companies and amassing a fortune by leveraging her ties to the president.