Ousted South Korean President Taken into Custody After Court Order

Seoul: South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-Hye was spending her first day in custody today after a court ordered her arrest, with her opponents crowing and her supporters crying.

The former head of state stared straight ahead, apparently trying to maintain her composure, as she was driven to the Seoul Detention Centre through a barrage of flashbulbs shortly before dawn.

After a marathon hearing yesterday a court in the capital ordered Park's arrest in connection with the corruption scandal that brought millions of people onto the streets and saw her impeached.

Prosecutors have yet to specify the formal charges against her, but have previously said she is suspected of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion, and leaking government secrets.

"It is justifiable and necessary to arrest (Park) as key charges were justified and there is risk of evidence being destroyed," the court said in a statement.

The decision made Park, 65, the third former leader to be arrested over corruption in Asia's fourth-largest economy, where politics and big business have long been closely tied.

The former leader, who has denied the accusations, was grilled for nearly nine hours by the judge.

That came after she underwent a 21-hour interrogation session at the prosecutors' office last week, having refused repeated requests to be interviewed while in power.

Park, daughter of late dictator Park Chung-Hee, secured the largest vote share of any candidate in the democratic era when she was elected in 2012.

PTI