Choi (centre) was a longtime friend and adviser to former South Korean President Park Geun-hye (Reuters)

A close friend of South Korea's former president has been jailed for three years for corruption.

Choi Soon-sil's conviction for soliciting favours for her daughter is the first in a wide-reaching influence-peddling scandal which brought down President Park Geun-hye.

She had acted for years as an adviser to Ms Park, who has been impeached and is also on trial.

Choi also faces charges that she accepted bribes for Ms Park.

Ms Park has denied all allegations of corruption.

Choi was found guilty of using her position to influence officials at a university to admit her daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, as well as give her daughter grades for papers or exams she never took.

The court stated in its verdict that "she committed too much wrongdoing to consider the actions were out of love as a mother who wants the best for her child," according to the Yonhap news agency.

Two former officials at the prestigious Ewha Womans University in Seoul have also been jailed for colluding with Choi.

Choi still faces other charges including abuse of authority, coercion, attempted coercion and attempted fraud.

What was her daughter's involvement?

Prosecutors say Ms Chung, an award-winning dressage rider, was involved in economic crimes, exam fraud, obstructing business and concealing criminal proceeds.

Ms Chung is currently not in detention in Seoul (Reuters)

She has denied all these accusations and said she had no knowledge of her mother's dealings, including those with Ms Park.

Ms Chung, 21, was arrested in Denmark earlier this year and extradited to South Korea.

She is currently not in detention in Seoul. On Tuesday a local court said there was no need to detain her and refused the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant.

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