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In a special meeting of the South Korean parliament on Friday, the National Assembly voted 234 to 56 to impeach the country's first female President after months of massive protests over concerns about corruption and influence peddling.
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The vote means President Park Geun-hye is immediately stripped of her powers and will be replaced by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn until the country’s highest court makes a final ruling on the constitutionality of the vote. The court has up to six months to decide on the case, yet if they approve the vote the country would need to hold a Presidential election within 60 days.
As thousands of protesters gathered outside the National Assembly chanting for impeachment, opposition member Kim Kwan-young, said in the chamber, "Can you hear the roar of the people in front of the National Assembly? We need to overcome the old establishment. Our great people have already opened the way. Let's make it so we can stand honorably in front of history and our descendants."
The impeachment is the latest, though perhaps not final, twist in the sordid political story of Park, daughter of a former military dictator and leader of the right-wing Saenuri Party.
The recent controversy over Choi’s mysterious influence over Park has plunged the now impeached President’s approval rating to an all-time low of 4 percent. While Park has denied any wrongdoing in the Choi matter, the impeachment comes after years of increasingly harsh policies, including an attempt to disband a left-wing opposition party, violent crackdowns on activists, and attacks on press freedoms.
After the vote, Park urged the country to unite behind the interim President and vowed to prepare for the upcoming legal review of the impeachment, which she will challenge.
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