South Korean Parliament votes to impeach President Park Geun-hye
South Korean Parliament votes to impeach President Park Geun-hye
South
Korea's parliament has voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye after a
corruption scandal paralysed her administration and triggered massive
street protests.
The parliamentary vote passed with a majority of more than two-thirds on Friday: 234 for and 56 against.
In
a televised statement aired shortly after news of the vote broke, Park
apologised for the political "chaos" in the country and urged the
government to remain vigilant on the economy and national security.
"I'm
so sorry for all South Koreans that I created chaos with my
carelessness when our country faces so many difficulties, from the
economy to national defence," she said.
She
now faces the prospect of going down in history as the first
democratically elected South Korean president to be removed from office.
Al
Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from the National Assembly in Seoul,
said cheers from protesters who had gathered outside echoed through the
building as the motion came through.
"This is a big vindication of the impeachment motion," he added.
"It
sends, as the opposition wanted, a strong signal of the will of the
national assembly as we go to the next stage of this process."
South
Korea's Constitutional Court now has six months to decide whether to
uphold the motion and remove Park from office or reject it and reinstate
her.
Prime
Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who holds what is largely a ceremonial role,
will serve as acting president until the court delivers a ruling.
While
the court reviews her case, Park will keep her title as President,
continue to stay at the presidential Blue House, use her official car
and plane, and collect the same monthly salary, according to an AP news
agency report.
Bong
Youngshik, the director of the Foreign Policy studies programme at the
Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Al Jazeera there was no
guarantee Park would be permanently removed from office.
"We
have to remain cautious, [following] a 2004 impeachment case against
former President Roh Moo-hyun which the Constitutional court rejected.
The impeachment against President Park should be based upon concrete
evidence and a 'serious breach of the constitution and law'. Nothing is
settled yet."
- 05 January 2017
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