South Korea’s President removed on corruption scandal

Conglomerates with alleged links to the so-called Choi Soon-sil gate are once again on high alert following the Constitutional Court’s ruling upholding President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment on March 10. He later died from his wounds in hospital.

Park was a longstanding member of the nation’s political community.

Some of Park’s supporters reacted angrily after the ruling, shouting and hitting police officers and reporters with plastic flag poles and steel ladders, and climbing on police buses.

“Impeachment is not the end”.

A whopping 92 percent said people should accept the court’s decision to uphold the impeachment motion. “She’s a citizen now”. She served as the “first lady” for five years after her mother was killed in a 1974 assassination attempt on elder Park.

Park ignored months of protests by millions of Koreans calling for her resignation. As Park is no longer president, she is vulnerable to prosecution for bribery, extortion, and abuse of power.

She was not planning any statement on Friday, the Blue House said.

There has been no word from her since the ruling, and it is not yet known when she will leave the presidential Blue House. Until then, prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will remain in his current position as interim president. Out of concerns on low voter turnout, the National Election Commission is reluctant to hold the election right before or after a public holiday.

Ms Park is also accused of giving Ms Choi unlawful access to state affairs and allowing her to influence policy. She is stripped of powers while awaiting a court decision on the vote.

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

Leading in opinion polls to succeed her is prominent liberal politician, Moon Jae-in, who advocates reconciliation with North Korea.

Depending on the verdict, South Korea will hold its next presidential election in either May or December.

China has vociferously protested against the deployment, fearing its sophisticated radar could see into its own missile deployments.

Shortly after Friday’s decision was announced, South Korea’s defense minister Han Min Koo warned the country’s military to be on alert for the possibility of North Korean “strategic or operational” provocations attempting to exploit “unstable situations at home and overseas”, according to AP.

The de facto head of Samsung, Lee Dae-jung, went on trial on Thursday for his alleged role in the scandal.

He and Samsung have denied wrongdoing.