South Korean court rules to oust President Park over alleged Samsung bribes

A panel of eight judges had been deliberating on Ms Park’s impeachment, before deciding there was sound reason for her dismissal.

With the decision, which is final and unchallengeable under Korean law, Park has become the nation’s first successfully impeached president.

Park was impeached in December on charges of receiving millions of dollars in bribes from businesses and abusing her powers in a scheme with her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil. “We dismiss the defendant President Park”, Justice Lee Jung-mi said at the time.

A snap presidential election will be held within 60 days.

Police had braced for violence between the two crowds after three people died and dozens were injured in clashes between police and Park’s supporters after the ruling on Friday.

Rival groups of supporters and opponents watched as the verdict was read out live on television – a process that took little more than 20 minutes.

“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”.

Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of the country’s biggest conglomerate, Samsung, is also involved and is on trial accused of bribery and embezzlement.

It is widely believed that nostalgia for her late father, the authoritarian leader Park Chung-hee, brought her to the presidency.

A daughter of former President Park Chung-hee and the nation’s first female president, Park has been embroiled in a scandal involving her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil since late a year ago. Below is a rally of Park supporters. “There’s fear it’s made [the country] more vulnerable”, Lee said.

“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.

Ms Choi is also in detention, after being accused of using her close ties with Ms Park to force firms to “donate” nearly $70m to her non-profit organisations, which she allegedly used for personal gain. Now that she’s no longer immune from prosecution, they can make a stronger push for indictment.

Two protesters were killed during a demonstration in Seoul after President Park Geun-hey was removed from office. But some analysts worry that could create a backlash by conservatives.

Critics are not only going after Park, the spokeswoman for the protesters told Reuters reporters, they also plan to call for the resignation of the acting president.