South Korea parliament votes to impeach President Park

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who faces impeachment this week, rose to power with the support of conservatives enamored of the economic growth ushered in by her late dictator father decades ago.

Wednesday’s morning session largely focused on former Blue House chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, with lawmakers seeking clarification on the influence Choi wielded over Park.

“The national assembly does not have any kind of power of arrest”.

Parliament introduced the impeachment bill on Thursday and it must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours at the domed National Assembly building that sits on an island on the south side of the Han River.

After the parliamentary vote, the impeachment motion goes to Korea’s constitutional court for deliberation within 180 days, where it is either upheld or rejected.

The court overturned Roh’s impeachment.

Hours before the vote, anti-Park activists scuffled with police as they tried to drive two tractors up to parliament’s main gate, where more than a 1,000 protesters were gathered.

Park’s approval ratings have plunged to 4 percent, the lowest among South Korean leaders since democracy came in the late 1980s, and even elderly conservatives who once made up her political base have distanced themselves from her. Six of the nine judges on the court have to confirm the legislature’s action.

Ms Park’s confidante, Choi Soon-sil, and two former presidential aides allegedly linked to the scandal have been indicted. Park, whose mother was assassinated in 1974, described Choi Soon-sil as someone “who helped me when I had difficulties” in the past.

The motion, which will be tested with a full vote of the National Assembly on Friday, accuses the president of constitutional and criminal violations.

The Opposition says they have secured up to 40 votes from the ruling party but that has been disputed.

The motion said Park violated the Constitution as well as other laws, adding she took advantage of her authority granted by the people.

Earlier, the Constructional Court ordered the dissolution of a small leftist party, and the government deported a Korean-American woman it said had praised North Korea in a lecture.

Hwang became prime minister in June of past year, succeeding Lee Wan Koo, who resigned amid allegations that he was among several members of Park’s administration who received bribes.

According to the Constitution, the National Assembly must have at least 200 members.

Opposition members of the parliamentary investigative committee said they will continue to hold hearings until all witnesses comply with the summons.

A record by UPI, accounts that the Samsung executive’s statement was in response to allegations from the ruling party lawmaker Lee Man-hee who said, “Samsung provided [$8.5 million] to the family of Choi [Soon-sil] so [her daughter] Chung Yoo-ra could purchase horses in Europe”. Because Friday is the last day of the year that lawmakers convene, analysts expect the vote to take place then.

The most-searched items on leading web portal Naver on Friday were related to what happened around Roh’s impeachment. “You need a lot of self-reflection”, the legislator said. “We will not let down our guards until the end”.

Moon leads the Democratic Party’s largest faction and lost narrowly to Park in the last presidential race in 2012.

If the motion is passed, holding a presidential election earlier than the scheduled December 2017 becomes inevitable.

But Mr Chung said that if MPs vote to impeach her, Ms Park would accept the outcome “calmly” and make “every available effort” to prepare for a court process that would determine whether she would be formally removed.

In fact, the fate of Park depends on a group of the Saenuri rebels.