(VOVworld) - Prosecutors said Monday that they were seeking to arrest former President Park Geun-hye of South Korea on criminal charges.

South Korea's ousted leader Park Geun-hye leaves a prosecutor's office in Seoul, South Korea, March 22, 2017 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

State and special prosecutors levied a total of 13 charges against Park, including bribery, abuse of power and the leakage of state secrets. Park is accused of colluding with her decades-long friend Choi Soon-sil, who is now in custody, to solicit tens of millions of U.S. dollars in bribes from some Korean economic groups.

On Monday, prosecutors formally asked the court for the warrant. It usually takes several days before the court studies evidence and decides whether an arrest warrant is justified.