Denmark arrests daughter of South Korean president's friend

The daughter of a central figure in the influence-peddling scandal that has tarnished President Park Geun-hye has been arrested in the northern Danish city of Aalborg, South Korean police said.

Choi Soon-sil is accused of using her friendship with Park to get her daughter Chung Yoo-ra into a prestigious Korean university.

South Korean authorities had been seeking the arrest of Chung Yoo-ra for her ties to the scandal where her mother personally gained from Park. Choi Soon-sil was found to have allegedly meddled in state affairs and forced companies to donate funds to non-profit foundations.

"We will request an emergency extradition of Chung, working with the special prosecutor's office," said Lee Chul-sung, commissioner general of the Korea National Police Agency.

Chul-sung said 20-year-old Chung, a equestrian competitor who trained in Germany, was arrested for staying illegally.

The scandal surrounding the President has led to her impeachment by the South Korean parliament last month. It paralyzed the government and drew hundreds of thousands of protestors onto the streets of Seoul demanding Park step down.

Park could become South Korea's first democratically elected leader to be forced to leave office early. The parliamentary impeachment must be confirmed or overturned by the Constitutional Court, which has weeks to rule.