Park Geun-hye was South Korea's first female head-of-state. She became the country's first president to be peacefully removed from power. And now she is the third former leader to be convicted of corruption after a judge handed her a 24-year jail sentence on Friday. Park was convicted on 16 different counts including conspiring with a friend to coerce the conglomerates Samsung, Lotte and SK into promising around 21 million U.S. dollars worth of bribes in return for political favors. CGTN's Jack Barton was at the courthouse.

It was the first time a verdict had been broadcast live from the Seoul Central District Court, where on Friday former president Park Geun-hye was handed a 24-year jail sentence along with the equivalent of 17 million U.S. dollars in fines for her part in a corruption scandal that shook the nation.

KIM SE-YUN SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE "Massive chaos was brought about and led to the impeachment of the president, which was unprecedented in our constitutional history."

Prosecutors had demanded a 30-year sentence and more than 100 million dollars in fines. Park refused to attend Friday's deliberations, but perhaps watched it live on television like millions of people across the country, most of whom approved of her impeachment and arrest.

CHOI WON-JOON SOUTH KOREAN RESIDENT "I think the verdict was generous. I think she should have been sentenced to life imprisonment."

But outside the courthouse there was anger among her loyal supporters.

KENNY CHO PRO-PARK DEMONSTRATOR "Everything is fake. She's not guilty and this is mob justice."

GINA LEE PRO-PARK DEMONSTRATOR "There is no justice in Korea."

It's the toughest verdict in a corruption scandal that engulfed South Korea last year, but it wasn't the first.

JACK BARTON SEOUL "Park's friend Choi-soon shil has already been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in helping Park solicit tens of millions of dollars from big conglomerates like Samsung, whose acting head Lee Jae-yong also received a suspended sentence for his involvement in the same corruption case."

Park refused to attend the last six months of her trial and dismissed her lawyers, citing bias by the court. Her publicly appointed defenders say they will mount an appeal.

KANG CHEOL-GU PUBLIC DEFENDER FOR FORMER PRESIDENT PARK GEUN-HYE "Our public defenders did our best, but we regret today's court ruling, which is really bad. However, this is just a verdict of the first trial. We believe the judges will make a right judgement in the appeal trial at the Supreme Court."

Park was also convicted of charges relating to the creation of a blacklist targeting artists critical of her administration. The 66-year-old former president is the daughter of former president Park Chung-hee, credited by many with creating the conditions that led to South Korea’s rapid economic rise. Jack Barton, CGTN, Seoul.