Vote puts S. Korea impeachment ball in Constitutional Court

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2016
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Vote puts S. Korea impeachment ball in Constitutional Court

After the South Korean parliament's impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye, the spotlight now shifts to the nine judges of the Constitutional Court who could yet slam the door on those seeking to remove her from office.

The lawmakers' vote on Friday suspended Park's sweeping executive powers, but it requires final approval by a two-thirds majority of the court -- a lengthy and uncertain process that could take up to six months.

On paper, the court might be expected to favour Park, as nine of its justices were appointed by her or her conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-Bak.
But public opinion is hugely in favour of removing Park from the presidential Blue House, with the most recent opinion polls showing support for impeachment running at around 80 percent.

So the justices will be under extreme pressure to uphold parliament's decision, especially as the opposition-sponsored impeachment motion was adopted with the support of a significant number of lawmakers from Park's own ruling Saenuri Party.

Park's downfall was triggered by a scandal involving her close friend, Choi Soon-Sil, who is now awaiting trial on charges of using her presidential ties as leverage to squeeze tens of millions of dollars from local companies.

Park is also accused of leaking confidential state documents to Choi, who has no official title or security clearance, but was apparently allowed to meddle in state affairs including senior appointments.

The 40-page impeachment bill charged the president with multiple constitutional and criminal violations ranging from a failure to protect people's lives to bribery and abuse of power.

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