Danish court upholds extradition linked to South Korean scandal

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A Danish court upheld an extradition order of a South Korean woman wanted for questioning linked to a scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye, the public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. Chung Yoo-ra, a 20-year-old dressage rider, immediately filed an appeal, the office added on Twitter. Her lawyer was not immediately available for comment. She is the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Park who is accused of colluding with the former president to pressure businesses to contribute to non-profit foundations. Both Choi and Park have denied wrongdoing. In March, Denmark's public prosecutor ordered Chung's extradition "for the purpose of prosecution in her home country", a ruling she appealed. Chung has been accused of cheating to gain admission to her high school and university in South Korea, but has denied any wrongdoing. South Korean authorities have also been investigating whether Samsung Electronics channeled money to a German firm controlled by Choi to sponsor Chung's equestrian career in return for favors from Choi and Park. Chung's former lawyer Peter Martin Blinkenberg told Reuters in mid-March that she would challenge the extradition ruling and even apply for political asylum if necessary. Blinkenberg died suddenly shortly afterwards. While the cause of death is still unknown, there were no immediate signs of foul play, local police said. (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Tom Heneghan)