SEOUL: South Korean Constitutional Court has removed President Park Geun-hye from office, over a graft scandal involving the country's conglomerates at a time of rising tensions with North Korea and China. While she did not appear in court, a spokesman said she would not be making any comment nor would she leave the presidential Blue House residence.
The ruling was followed by severe protests from hundreds of her supporters. Two of them even died in police clashes outside the court. Park is the country's first democratically elected leader to be forced from office after months of turmoil over a corruption scandal that also gave the head of the Samsung conglomerate a one-way ticket to jail.
Acting Chief Judge Lee Jungmi said Park had violated the constitution and law "throughout her term", and despite objections of parliament and the media, had concealed the truth and cracked down on critics. Park, 65, no longer has immunity as president and could even face criminal charges over bribery, extortion and abuse of power in connection with allegations of conspiring with her friend Choi Soon-sil. This isn't the first time Park will make a tragic departure from the Blue House. In 1979, when serving as first lady after her mother was killed by a bullet meant for her father, she and her two siblings had to leave the presidential property after her father was killed.
She was impeached by parliament on December 9. An election to pick her successor must be held within 60 days, the court ruled. The President's supporters and detractors rallied outside the court as police officers and police buses were deployed to prevent a possible clash. The court's decision strips Park of her immunity from criminal prosecution, which will force her to undergo interrogation by prosecutors over her alleged crimes. Park was the first female President of South Korea. She took office on February 25, 2013. Her father, Park Chung-hee, was the President from 1963 to 1979 after he seized power in 1961.
