The presidential Blue House, the official residence of the South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, is pictured in Seoul, South Korea, November 15, 2016. Yonhap/via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court rejected a request by the special prosecutor’s office to raid the presidential Blue House, Yonhap News Agency said on Thursday, as part of a widening influence-peddling scandal that could topple President Park Guen-hye.

The special prosecution team investigating the corruption scandal, which has also engulfed Samsung Group [SAGR.UL], South Korea’s largest conglomerate, said earlier it had asked the court to search the Blue House after the presidential office blocked a raid earlier this month.