The friend of former South Korean leader Park Geun-hye who was at the center of an influence-peddling scandal that rocked the country's business and political elite has been sentenced to three years in jail, the Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
Prosecutors had demanded a seven-year jail term for Choi Soon-sil on charges of obstruction of business and links to the former president in order to force a university to give her daughter favors.
The court decision was the first ruling against Choi, who faces separate charges that allege she accepted bribes for Park from business conglomerates.
The court has yet to rule on those charges.