South Korea Impeachment Protest Death Toll Rises to 3

Park, the daughter of a late army-backed dictator, became South Korea’s first female president when she was elected in 2012, securing the highest vote share of any candidate in the democratic era.

Yomiuri Shimbun Seoul Bureau ChiefSouth Korean President Park Geun-hye has been ousted from office, with a new administration to be decided no later than May.

Following a December 9 parliamentary vote to impeach her, Park has been suspended but conservative supporters have led increasingly prominent counter-protests.

The political scandal involving Ms Park and an old friend of hers, Choi Soon-sil, has rocked South Korea, sparking regular huge protests both against and for her.

The move by the court triggers a snap presidential election, which is expected to be held in early May. He followed months of political paralysis and turmoil over a corruption scandal that also landed the head of the Samsung conglomerate in jail and facing trial.

Her action had “seriously impaired the spirit of. democracy and the rule of law”, said constitutional court chief justice Lee Jung-Mi. In a letter to the court, she apologized for her “carelessness” but said she never sought personal gain.

“Park Gone-Hye – Park Gone-Bye”, said users on Reddit.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper crowed: “Traitor Park can not escape a stern punishment by the people as she committed acts of treachery, deceiving and mocking at them”.

Park’s side says the presidency was only stressing the gravity of the crime of leaking its own documents, and had no intention of suppressing freedom of press.

Calling it the victory of the people, the participants called for Park’s arrest and punishment.

Special prosecutors tasked with investigating the case, known here as “Choi-gate”, said in a damning 101-page report released this week that they had found evidence that the president colluded with Choi. Now that she’s no longer immune from prosecution, they can make a stronger push for indictment. Its de facto chief Lee Jae-yong is being detained on charges of having allegedly bribed Park’s confidante Choi in the form of donations to her makeshift nonprofit foundations.

Paramedics give first-aid treatment to a protester near the constitutional court.

November 4: Park in her second apology over the scandal expresses remorse, but denies that she was involved in any legal wrongdoing. A majority of six judges is required for a ruling.

“We respect the verdict from the Constitutional Court and accept the result”, a spokesperson for Park’s party, Liberty Korea – formally known as Saenuri – in a statement after the verdict was announced.