Impeached South Korean president a ‘common criminal’: North Korean media

For so many Saturdays, throngs of South Koreans showed up on the streets of central Seoul to rally for the removal of their president, Park Geun-hye. The eight judges of the court have upheld December’s impeachment motion of the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, South Koreans are required by law to elect a new president within 60 days. South Korea is under increasingly scary threat from North Korea and pressure from China, a reprisal for Seoul’s efforts to bolster regional defense against showers of missiles (which, in a twist, may have brought the country closer to Japan).

Acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said Park’s “acts of violating the constitution and law are a betrayal of the public trust”.

Choi is accused of using her close ties with Park to force local firms to “donate” almost US$70m to the non-profit foundations, which Choi allegedly used for personal gain.

“Park Geun-hye did something wrong, but her wrongdoing is not serious enough to be impeached”, Cho said. -South Korea security alliance.

“It was thought in one stage that the ruling would mean she would have to leave immediately but that doesn’t seem to be the case”.

“We have never had a president who has been removed forcefully by an impeachment proceeding like this, ever”, says J. James Kim, a researcher at the Korean policy think tank Asan Institute.

Before becoming president, Park served five terms as a lawmaker and had an unsuccessful run for president in the campaign before her triumphant turn. Park also refused in-person questioning by prosecutors last November.

The court verdict strips Park of immunity, raising the prospect of her arrest and prosecution.

“The Constitutional Court ruling can not satisfy everyone”.

While awaiting the decision by the Constitutional Court, Park continued to live in the presidential Blue House.

Not all were as pleased with the outcome, however, and some pro-Park protesters turned on police vans outside court.

Police and hospital officials said three people died while protesting after Ms Park’s removal, including a man in his 70s who died early on Saturday after collapsing near the court. Since the scandal first came to light in October, protesters have taken to the streets every weekend to call for the president’s impeachment.

She is accused of receiving about $US70 million in bribes from big business groups like Samsung.

February 17: Lee Jae-yong, the billionaire scion of Samsung, South Korea’s largest business group, is arrested over suspicions that he bribed Park and Choi in exchange for business favours.