South Korea

The woman at the centre of a corruption scandal that triggered the biggest political crisis for a generation in South Korea appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing in her trial on fraud charges. It was the first public appearance since October for Choi Soon-Sil, who has been dubbed Korea's "female Rasputin" for the influence she wielded over the now-impeached president, Park Geun-Hye. Sporting black-rimmed glasses and a surgical mask that obscured her face,…