The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on Friday, removing her from office after a 92-day leadership crisis and triggering a presidential election in the weeks to come.
The ruling, which was announced by the court’s acting chief and televised live, made Park the nation’s first democratically elected leader to be ousted.
“The negative effects of the president’s actions and their repercussions are grave, and the benefits to defending the Constitution by removing her from office are overwhelmingly large,” acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said in delivering the ruling that lasted about 20 minutes.
Park was impeached by parliament on Dec. 9 on charges of letting a close friend meddle in state affairs, colluding with her to extort money from conglomerates, and neglecting her duties during a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300.
An election to pick her successor must be held within 60 days and many expect it to fall on May 9.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn made phone calls to Cabinet ministers to urge them to stay alert at a time of national emergency. He especially told Defense Minister Han Min-koo to strengthen military readiness to deter possible provocations from North Korea.
Hwang has convened a Cabinet meeting and will later hold a session of the National Security Council to discuss diplomatic and security challenges facing the nation. He is also expected to issue a statement to the nation.
Park’s Liberty Korea Party apologized to the nation as it accepted the court’s decision. “The Liberty Korea Party gave birth to the Park Geun-hye government. It was a ruling party and the partner of state affairs,” said In Myung-jin, the party’s interim head. “But we failed to fulfill our duty as the ruling party, and failed to protect the dignity and pride of South Korea, which has been built by the people.”
The main opposition Democratic Party called for an immediate suspension of Park’s policies, a recovery of constitutional values and normalization of state affairs.
Protest by the supporters of the ousted president has led to the death of two people.
