A South Korean court has approved arrest warrants for two ex-aides to President Park Geun-hye, over a scandal surrounding Park's longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil.
The former presidential advisors are suspected of helping Choi peddle undue influence for personal gains, and allowing her to interfere with state affairs.
Ahn Jong-beom is suspected of pressuring conglomerates into donating tens of millions of US dollars to two dubious nonprofit foundations, presumably controlled by Choi.
Another detainee, Jeong Ho-seong, will be detained for 20 days for a probe into the president's involvement.