South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on Friday (March 10), removing her from office over a graft scandal involving big business that has gripped the country for months.
Park becomes South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office. A presidential election will be held in 60 days, according to the constitution.
“The benefits to defending the Constitution by removing her from office are overwhelmingly large. Therefore, all judges announce an unanimous decision. We remove Park Geun-hye from office,” Lee Jung-mi, acting president of the court, told the hearing.
The ruling to uphold parliament’s Dec. 9 vote to impeach Park over an influence-peddling scandal is the most dramatic twist in a political crisis that has gripped the country for months.
Park, 65, was accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former presidential aide, both of whom have been on trial, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.
She was also accused of soliciting bribes from the head of the Samsung Group for government favours, including backing a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015 that was seen as supporting the succession of control over the country’s largest “chaebol” conglomerate.
Park has denied any wrongdoing.
(REUTERS)
